Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Cactus League debut scheduled
Rotowire
Woodruff (shoulder) will pitch in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Guardians, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Woodruff was able to pitch in a minor-league game Tuesday -- his first taste of game action since undergoing surgery on his shoulder in October 2023. He touched 94 mph with his fastball and left his outing feeling encouraged despite giving up three runs in just two-thirds of an inning. Sticking true to a traditional four-day rest schedule, he's set to last at least one inning against the Guardians on Sunday. He'll then gradually build up his workload during the remainder of the Brewers' Cactus League schedule followed by a rehab assignment at one of Milwaukee's minor-league affiliates.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Minor-league game on tap next week
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Woodruff (shoulder) is tentatively scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game Tuesday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Woodruff has been throwing live batting practice sessions and is nearly ready to test things out in a game setting. The Brewers have the veteran right-hander on a schedule of pitching every six days as he works his way back from right shoulder surgery. Woodruff has already been ruled out for Opening Day and it's not clear when he might be ready for his season debut, but reports on him this spring have been positive.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Getting stretched out in live BP
Rotowire
Woodruff (shoulder) expects to pitch multiple "innings" during his next live batting practice session, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Woodruff had a third live batting practice session Thursday which consisted of 30 pitches, and the right-hander was pleased with how it went. He will continue to build up, albeit slowly, as he works his way back from right shoulder surgery. Woodruff has already been ruled out for Opening Day, but a timeline for his season debut remains murky.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Throws third sim game
Rotowire
Woodruff (shoulder) threw a simulated game consisting of about 30 pitches Thursday, Sophia Minnaert of FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin reports.
Woodruff has now faced hitters on three occasions this spring and has built his workload up from around 20 pitches to 30. While Woodruff is being treated as a full participant in spring training, he's still being ramped up slowly following his October 2023 shoulder surgery and is not being viewed as a realistic candidate for the Opening Day rotation. Following his second sim game this past Friday, Woodruff told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com that his fastball was touching 92 miles per hour, which is about three ticks below his average velocity from his last healthy season in 2023. Woodruff could need to complete another sim game or two before the Brewers potentially make room for him in the Cactus League pitching schedule.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Facing hitters Friday
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Woodruff (shoulder) will face hitters Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
It will mark Woodruff's first time facing hitters since he underwent surgery in October of 2023 to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. While Woodruff is considered a full participant at the beginning of spring training, he acknowledged that his buildup will be slower than other pitchers'. The expectation is that he will need a stint on the injured list to begin the season, but more clarity on the righty's timetable should be available later in spring training.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Unlikely to be ready Opening Day
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Brewers manager Pat Murphy indicated in a recent interview that he does not expect Woodruff (shoulder) to be ready by Opening Day, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Woodruff underwent surgery in October of 2023 to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. His rehab had to be paused in August when he wasn't progressing as hoped, and while things have gone well with his recovery since then, he will be behind at the start of camp. A clearer timetable for when Woodruff will be ready for his season debut could be available at some point during spring training.
Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Throwing bullpens twice per week
Rotowire
Woodruff (shoulder) said Monday he's in a "really, really good spot" but is not sure he'll be ready for Opening Day, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Recovering from October 2023 surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder, Woodruff began throwing off a mound in August and had been slated to face hitters in late September, but he wasn't physically ready so the pace of his rehab was slowed. However, the righty appears to have made significant progress since then and is throwing bullpen sessions twice per week. The next steps are for Woodruff to throw simulated innings and then face hitters. Next week, he will travel to the Brewers' pitching lab in Phoenix to get a status report on his stuff. While Woodruff is preparing to be ready by Opening Day, he's not able to say whether he'll reach that goal since he has many things to still check off his rehab to-do list. A clearer picture on the righty's timetable should be available during spring training.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Opening Day not a given
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Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said Monday that it's "hard to say at the moment" whether Woodruff (shoulder) will be part of the team's Opening Day rotation, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Arnold added of Woodruff that the team will be "cautious with him and his health," indicating that while the expectation is to have him in the rotation at some point next season, it's no guarantee it will be as soon as Opening Day. Woodruff underwent surgery last October to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder and began throwing off a mound in late August.
Woodruff (shoulder) threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
It's the first time the veteran right-hander has throw from the bump since he underwent shoulder surgery last October. Woodruff is scheduled for another bullpen session on Friday or Saturday as he slowly ramps up his throwing program. He won't be available in 2024 even if the Brewers make a deep postseason run, but the hope is that Woodruff will be ready to go for spring training.
Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Rules self out for 2024
Rotowire
Woodruff (shoulder) confirmed Saturday that he won't pitch during the 2024 season but expects to return to full strength for 2025, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. "Honestly, I'm going [to] be the strongest I'll ever be at any point in my career because I'm going [to] have a year and just basically get my body ready for pitching," Woodruff said.
The Brewers non-tendered Woodruff in November, about a month after he underwent surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. He reunited with Milwaukee in February on a two-year, $7.5 million deal, with both parties recognizing that the 2024 portion of the contract would be dedicated to rehab and recovery. Since having surgery in the fall, Woodruff seems to be encouraged with where he stands five months later. He's already started playing catch again and could advance to throwing off a mound at some point during the summer. Milwaukee placed Woodruff on the 60-day injured list Feb. 21, and he'll remain off the 40-man roster for the entire season before being reinstated.
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