MILWAUKEE — Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff underwent surgery Friday to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. According to the club, he is expected to miss most, if not all, of next season, raising the real possibility that the 30-year-old has thrown his last pitch for Milwaukee.
“Brandon is not only one of the best pitchers in our franchise history, but he is also a valued member of our organization off the field,” Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said in a statement. “He and his wife Jonie did their best here in the community. Brandon’s health is our top priority at this time.”
In parts of seven major league seasons, Woodruff is 46-26 with a 3.10 ERA and 788 strikeouts over 680 1/3 innings. Among pitchers who have thrown at least 600 innings in a Brewers uniform, Woodruff’s ERA and WHIP (1.05) are the best marks in franchise history, and his 28.9 percent strikeout rate is the second-best all-time to Corbin Burnes’ 30.4 percent.
Dr. Keith Meister performed Woodruff’s surgery in Dallas after providing a second opinion on the extent of the injury, which was first revealed on the eve of the Brewers’ NL Wild Card Series game against the D-Backs. Meister performed similar surgery on Atlanta right-hander Kyle Wright earlier this week, and the Braves said Friday that they expect Wright to miss all of 2024.
It has far-reaching consequences for the Brewers and for Woodruff, starting with the fact that he may have thrown his last pitch for Milwaukee. The Brewers drafted Woodruff out of Mississippi State in 2014 and developed him into a front-line starter who was the first in a line of pitchers, followed by Burnes and Freddy Peralta, who helped the franchise reach the postseason five times in the past six seasons to reach. He won three division titles along the way. Woodruff, like Burnes, only has one more season of contractual control before hitting free agency, and Woodruff would continue to accrue service time even if he spent all of 2024 on the 60-day IL.
With this ticking clock, several scenarios are in play for the coming weeks:
1. The Brewers could offer Woodruff a contract as usual – the tender deadline this year is Friday, November 17 – and go through the arbitration process and then cross their fingers that he is able to beat the odds and eventually get it pitching 2024 to lay the groundwork for a re-signing for 2025 and beyond. It would be a risky and expensive bet; Woodruff earned $10.8 million this season, and considering how the arbitration system works, he could actually make more next year despite missing four months of 2023 with an injury behind his right shoulder, of which The Brewers believe her injury is unrelated to the current season.
2. Brewers and Woodruff agent Bo McKinnis could negotiate a multi-year deal now with the idea that he would redeem himself in 2024, then have a chance to re-establish himself in 1925 and possibly beyond. Since the sides have occasionally discussed a contract extension during Woodruff’s time with the Brewers, those talks wouldn’t exactly be starting from scratch, although circumstances have changed dramatically.
3. If the Brewers and Woodruff cannot agree on a multi-year deal, the Brewers could potentially sell him to a club willing to attempt such an agreement.
4. Or the Brewers could non-tender Woodruff on November 17th, which would make him a free agent. In this scenario – perhaps the most likely of these four options – the Brewers would be responsible for the cost of Woodruff’s medical care until he either signs with another club or re-signs with the Brewers at a mutually acceptable price.
What Friday’s development means for the rest of Milwaukee’s offseason remains to be seen. It’s notable that the Brewers led the majors with a 3.71 ERA despite getting just 67 innings from Woodruff, but still, his absence leaves a big hole to fill in a rotation that already had some question marks .
Peralta is certain to be back in ’24 as he enters the final guaranteed season of the five-year contract he signed in 2020. Left-hander Aaron Ashby is also signed for next season, but his availability and role are uncertain after he missed 2023 with his own shoulder injury. When asked about Ashby’s availability for Opening Day earlier this week, Arnold did not provide specifics.
“This is another serious injury he sustained,” Arnold said. “The reports I’ve received recently about his throws are really, really positive.” The velocity was really trending upwards. He’s in a good mood. He’s a great boy. I know he’s racking his brains and all he wants to do is throw the baseball forward. That’s all this guy cares about and I’m excited to see what he can do for us next year.”
Additionally, veteran left-hander Wade Miley has a $10 million common option for 2024 that must be decided after the World Series. Colin Rea is a free agent after providing valuable innings when needed last year. Burnes, Adrian Houser and Eric Lauer are all nearing arbitration, making Burnes in particular a trade candidate. Whether the club’s attitude toward Burnes has changed given the loss of Woodruff is a big unknown.
In the minors, the Brewers have left-hander Robert Gasser on the cusp of the majors after winning the 2023 Triple-A International League Pitcher of the Year award, as well as right-hander Janson Junk, who has a 4 ERA in 140 innings .18 earned in Triple-A plus two appearances in the majors. Also pushing for the big leagues is Carlos Rodríguez, the Double-A Southern League Pitcher of the Year, who was promoted to Triple-A Nashville for a start at the end of the season.
To understand the challenge that comes with recovering from a torn shoulder capsule, one can look to Chicago’s North Side, where Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks was sidelined with a shoulder injury in July 2022 and is in his third month Capsular tear was diagnosed in August. His tear was so small that, unlike Woodruff, he did not require surgery, but Hendricks was sidelined until the last week of May 2023.
With surgery, the timeline for return to competition is often 12-14 months.
Woodruff, who turns 31 next February, was left off the Brewers’ NL Wild Card Series roster because of the injury, struggled with inflammation behind the same shoulder in April after just two starts, and ended up missing four months because of one Lower 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 was September’s first The Brewers’ shutout for more than two years included . 11 against the Marlins. But there were signs of trouble in a Sept. 23 rematch in Miami.
Woodruff pitched 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.
In the end, the problem was much more serious. In a tearful press conference, Woodruff expressed regret that he was unable to help against the D-backs, who defeated the Brewers in a two-game sweep by erasing deficits against both Burnes and Peralta.
“It just came up at the wrong time,” Woodruff said before the start of the Brewers’ short playoff run. “It sucks, man. We have a good clubhouse and I want to be a part of it.