TAMPA – Brandon Woodruff threw 28 of 39 pitches for strikes during what was a shorter start by design at Triple-A Nashville on Sunday, likely his final rehab outing before returning to the mound at Milwaukee’s American Family Field.
Woodruff’s 30-day rehab assignment is expiring, so unless there is a setback, the Brewers will have to activate their longtime ace from the injured list by Tuesday and will slot him into the starting rotation during their weekend series against the Twins. Saturday looks like a good bet, though the team has yet to formally set any pitching probables for any of those three games.
If that’s the date, it would mark Woodruff’s first start in the Major Leagues in 602 days. He developed shoulder discomfort during a Sept. 23, 2023 start in Miami, missed that year’s postseason and underwent major shoulder surgery that October.
“We could have put him in the rotation sooner, but he felt like he needed another outing, lighter,” Brewers GM Matt Arnold said. “He just doesn’t want to have to go back on the IL. So that was the big thing.
“The other thing that I think was a factor there is him being able to make his start back at home. Just having the emotion tied to that rather than have him come back in Cleveland – I think he wants to do that in front of the home crowd.”
Woodruff worked 2 1/3 innings on Sunday in his second straight start against Norfolk, which is Baltimore’s top affiliate. He allowed a run on two soft singles, didn’t walk a batter and struck out three while working with a fastball that was down a tick from his previous outing. His four-seamer topped out at 93.2 mph and averaged 90.7 mph, according to Statcast data.
“I didn’t hear anything, but I saw the line and I saw the number of pitches,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said upon returning to his office following Sunday’s 4-2 win over the Rays. “I didn’t hear much, but when it’s in the pitcher’s mind that this is going to be a lower-volume day, that can affect you, too.”
If Woodruff’s return to the big leagues indeed falls on Saturday, it will be a large home crowd. The Brewers are distributing Racing Sausage-themed cribbage boards to the first 25,000 fans through the turnstiles that night, and it’s one of the hottest items on this year’s promotional schedule.
He’s one of several pitchers nearing a return from the injured list. Another starter, Aaron Civale (hamstring), could be back with the Brewers a week or so after Woodruff’s return to the rotation. And left-hander Aaron Ashby (oblique) may be two rehab appearances away from joining the bullpen as a multi-inning relief option.