MILWAUKEE – Brandon Woodruff covered his face as tears came. This was not the way a promising postseason was supposed to begin for the Brewers.
Milwaukee’s vaunted pitching staff suffered a major blow Monday when it was announced that Woodruff has a right shoulder injury and will not pitch in the National League Wild Card Series. Manager Craig Counsell said Woodruff’s availability for possible future series is “up in the air.”
Woodruff is in the process of getting a second opinion on what Counsell called a capsular injury — one of the last terms a pitcher wants to hear. Woodruff likely would have slotted in behind Corbin Burnes, who will start in Game 1 against the D-Backs on Tuesday night.
“It just came up at the wrong time,” Woodruff said, struggling hopelessly with his emotions. “It sucks, man. We have a good clubhouse and I want to be a part of it. As I sit here now, that may not be the case. That’s the hard part. But we have a good group, and I think we’ll be fine.
“I’m in the middle of it.”
Woodruff battled inflammation behind the same shoulder in April after just two starts and ended up missing four months with a sub-shoulder strain. He returned in early August and was as good as ever, going 4-1 with a 2.13 ERA in eight starts from his return on August 6 through September 17, a stretch that marked the first complete shutout the Brewers for more than two years included on September 11th against the Marlins. But there were signs of trouble in a Sept. 23 rematch in Miami.
Woodruff threw one pitch and allowed four runs on six hits in five innings the night after the Brewers clinched a spot in the postseason when another win clinched the NL Central. He worked at such a slow pace that the athletic trainer paid him a visit. Woodruff insisted he was fine and attributed it to poor mechanics.
Woodruff threw 60 pitches in live batting practice Friday in lieu of another start, and he said that while the session wasn’t exceptional, it went according to plan. When Woodruff played catch on Sunday before the Brewers’ regular-season finale, he knew something was wrong.
“It was a very similar feeling to what I had [in April] “Before I had the MRI that showed the first injury,” Woodruff said. “I reached out immediately and basically went in and told them how I felt.”
The Brewers are hoping for strong postseason success from their pitching and defense. The Big Three starters – Burnes, Woodruff and Freddy Peralta – are complemented by veteran left-hander Wade Miley as a very capable No. 4. The options for starting games in the following series lead with Adrian Houser and Colin Rea.
With Woodruff out, Milwaukee not only had to rethink its plans for a 26-man Wild Card Series roster, but also who would start in Game 2 on Wednesday night. The deadline for roster selection is 10 a.m. local time before the opening game of each series. Beyond these baseball decisions, however, was a deep disappointment for one of the Brewers’ longest-serving players.
Woodruff was Milwaukee’s 11th-round draft pick in 2014 and beat the odds by not only making the majors in ’17, but also making the NL All-Star team in ’19 and ’21.
“Super tough,” Brewers GM Matt Arnold said. “I am sorry [Woodruff], first of all. I know how hard he has worked to be in this situation and he wants to be a part of it. And he’s still a part of it. He just has to do it differently.
Counsell said: “We have really good pitching. We feel good about getting through this series with a lot of guys on the mound. We give the ball to Corbin.” [in Game 1] is the best feeling you can have.
Without Woodruff, Counsell said the decision on who would start Game 2 against the D-Backs would depend on a number of factors, including whether the Brewers won or lost Game 1 and how often they used the bullpen. Peralta, like Woodruff, missed his final start of the regular season, but that was due to rest and not health concerns, Counsell said.
The D-backs, meanwhile, have their versions of Burnes and Peralta — Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly — in the lineup for Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 3.
“I know it’s probably heartbreaking [Woodruff], his team, this organization, because of what he means to this team,” said D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo. “You always want the best for your competitor. So if you get ahead, you can say you beat him at best. But I know the Brewers have some very capable pitchers who can take on the next level and roles.
“The usual thought is to exhale and say, ‘Well, Woodruff isn’t starting.’ We won’t fall for that. They have very capable substitutes and they are well managed. “Couns” will find the best to go out there and help them win a baseball game.”
This plan starts with Burnes.
“It’s tough when one of your better arms goes down,” Burnes said. “Obviously we don’t know the extent of the situation and how long he’ll be out for, but it means it’s an opportunity for another player to follow in his footsteps and do what he can to emulate what he does would.” out there on the hill.
“We have a lot of depth in the starting lineup. We have people who can step in and give us a chance to win. That will happen. That’s what we have to do.” “
That was the story for much of the regular season after Woodruff was sidelined in early April. Peralta, limited last season by his own right shoulder injury, posted a 3.86 ERA in a career-high 165 2/3 innings. Miley had a 3.14 ERA over 120 1/3 innings in 23 starts in the majors. And Rea’s 124 2/3 innings in 26 games (22 starts) were – in many ways – the surprise of the year for the Brewers. He finished with a 4.55 ERA.
“This time of year is about being resilient and overcoming adversity. “We’ve had to do that all year,” Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich said. “There were times when we didn’t have Woody for long periods of the season.” Of course he’s a great pitcher and can run games on his own, but we still have a very talented team. At this point it’s about sticking together, staying connected.
“He prepared a game for us. And not to underestimate his value or what he brings to our team, because he is immense, but we have a lot of other talented people in the clubhouse. It’s about moving forward and seeing what we can do.”