The Milwaukee Brewers used 17 starting pitchers in 2024 as their rotation was decimated by injuries. Already in 2025, they know they will be without left-handed starting pitcher Robert Gasser, who needed Tommy John surgery after five spectacular starts in his first taste of the Majors that saw him post a 2-0 record and 2.57 ERA. Colin Rea, who made 27 starts last year (second on the team), is now playing for the Chicago Cubs.
In an effort to boost their starting pitching depth for 2025, the Brewers traded two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees for Nestor Cortes (and infield prospect Caleb Durbin). With Cortes in tow, Milwaukee is projected to have a rotation that includes Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers, Cortes, and Aaron Civale.
One pitcher who will be in the mix at some point is two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff, who is trying to work his way back from a shoulder injury that has kept him sidelined for the better part of two years.
Three Takeaways from Milwaukee Brewers Starter Brandon Woodruff’s Latest Injury Update
In 2022, Woodruff went 13-4 with a 3.05 ERA while making 27 starts. He got off to an even better start in 2023, going 5-1 with a 2.58 ERA in 11 starts. Unfortunately, injuries mounted up for him, culminated by a severe shoulder ailment that required surgery. He missed all of 2024 with hopes of making a comeback in 2025.
Over the weekend, he pitched his second live bullpen session of the spring. On Saturday, he spoke to reporters to give an update on his recovery, where he is at in terms of velocity, and when he might return to game action.
Brandon Woodruff threw 26 pitches yesterday in his live BP session and topped out at 92 mph. Another step forward for Big Woo: pic.twitter.com/InG3IOu656
— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) February 22, 2025
1. He Is Ecstatic with How His Shoulder Is Recovering from Throwing
“I felt good, I felt better this time around. Recovered better, so that is a great sign. You just gotta keep stacking days like that. It’s going to take some time to fully get everything back, but if I can go pitch off the mound, come in the next day, and feel good, that’s a great day.”
After his first live session against hitters this spring, Woodruff emphasized that his ability to return to game action would depend on how well his shoulder recovered after a throwing session. As one can tell from the quote above, it felt better after his second session than the first, indicating that strength is returning.
2. There Is No Timeline for Brandon Woodruff to Return to Game Action
“No, I have no timeline. I think with this surgery, really any shoulder surgery, you have to take time and you don’t exactly know when that day is going to be. Now, if it was a playoff game and you needed somebody, I mean, yeah, c’mon, I would go out there. But we are so far from that. But no, I have no day in mind. I got to go get innings, whatever that looks like. I can’t really comment on when that is going to be in the Major Leagues.”
From this quote, it is plain to see that Woodruff and the Brewers are not forcing him to return at a specific time. He will be ready when he is ready. If that happens during Spring Training, all the better; but that is not something that they are counting on.
If he is not able to get innings in Spring Training, he will have a rehab stint in the minors in order to get them before returning to Milwaukee.
3. Woodruff Has Lost About 4-5 MPH on His Fastball
“I think I was up to about 92 yesterday, which was pretty much the same as the first day. So, less adrenaline this time, same velo numbers, which is a great sign. I recovered better this time around. That is an absolute home run for me at this point.”
Later, when asked if 92 mph was what he would expect at this point in Spring Training prior to his injury, Woodruff said, “You know, the first time you face hitters, you maybe jump it up to the mid or upper 90s, but as spring goes on, it kind of goes down to that 93 to 95 range, I mean, and that’s tops, so I’m sitting a little below that.”
An initial loss in velocity is to be expected for his first few times throwing to live hitters following a major shoulder surgery. He did state, though, that he felt more normal after his second session than he did the first.
In other words, his fastball is still, well, fast. Just not as much as it used to be. But that does not mean he will not get there, or at least get close to it.
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