Brandon Woodruff On Brewers' World Series Roster

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All of the work he did to even potentially just pitch one inning in the World Series paid off.

Brandon Woodruff is on the Milwaukee Brewers' roster for the World Series.

Woodruff, whose career nearly ended unceremoniously when he walked off the mound with a bum right shoulder July 4, was an emotional addition to the Brewers' 26-man roster that was announced Friday. The Brewers open the 2026 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday (7 p.m. CT, Fox).

Woodruff's addition to the roster comes at the expense of right-hander Chad Patrick being left off. Patrick has not pitched in a postseason game this year despite being on the roster for both previous rounds. No other changes were made to the Brewers' roster from the previous two rounds.

The 33-year-old right-hander, a stalwart of the Brewers' rotation until a shoulder injury sidelined him just before the 2024 postseason, has only faced hitters in live batting practice Tuesday since that devastating July 4 day, the third setback of 2026 during Woodruff's comeback from surgery three years ago. The start to his season was also slightly delayed and he then went on the injured list following an April 30 game from which he was also removed. Both games he left happened to be against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Woodruff is the Brewers' longest-tenured player and was one of the team's top starting pitchers until his shoulder issue popped up on the eve of the 2023 postseason, preventing him from pitching. Surgery took him out of all of 2024 and he was on the comeback trail in 2025 when a couple non-shoulder injuries set him back again. He did, however, return to the mound to make 11 starts last year, posting a 3.17 FIP (3.20 ERA) with a stellar 5.4% walk rate and 32.3% strikeout rate. But he broke down again late in the season and wasn't available for the postseason as the Brewers were short on starting pitching.

One of the concerns with Woodruff potentially getting hurt again if he pitches in the World Series was the Brewers' ability to replace him on the roster. Players who get hurt during the postseason are typically eligible to be replaced, but there is a clause about preexisting injuries and a player being removed from a roster. Replacements must be approved by MLB and preexisting injuries have not always been approved when a player gets reinjured and MLB had indicated to the Brewers that it would not allow a substitute should Woodruff get hurt.

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Woodruff is a two-time All-Star who finished fifth in the 2021 NL Cy Young Award voting.

Meanwhile, the Rays made one roster change, bringing left-handed reliever Garrett Cleavinger back to the roster, replacing rookie right-hander Brody Hopkins.