Brandon Woodruff Sidelined Again, Leaving Hole In Brewers' Rotation

Following another bout with his velocity dropping, Brandon Woodruff is sidelined again.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed the veteran right-handed starter on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Right-handed reliever Easton McGee was called up from Triple-A Nashville.

Woodruff left his start Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning. That came after a noticeable drop in his velocity in the first inning. In five starts this season, Woodruff had been averaging 92.5 mph on his four-seam fastball, which was down to 85.4 mph Thursday with a high of 86.9.

While the Brewers won the game 13-1, there was concern about Woodruff's status. The 33-year-old underwent an MRI exam while the game was still going and it was obvious he was headed for the injured list based on manager Pat Murphy's postgame comments.

Woodruff was set to hit free agency after last season, but accepted the qualifying offer of $22.025 million in the offseason to remain for what appears to be his final season with the Crew.

He is one of the most iconic pitchers in franchise history.

Woodruff underwent major shoulder surgery after the 2023 season, which caused him to miss all of 2024. After some other ailments pushed back the start of his 2025 to July, Woodruff returned almost as if he was never gone. But last season ended early due to a lat strain that caused him to miss the Brewers' postseason for the third straight year.

Now the Brewers must decide how to proceed without Woodruff. Left-hander Shane Drohan, who pitched four innings of relief following Woodruff's early exit, is one candidate. Right-hander Logan Henderson, currently at Triple-A Nashville, is another.

Still, Woodruff's leadership and presence will be felt in the short term.