Brewers: Brandon Woodruff to IL, playoffs in doubt due to lat injury.

Brandon Woodruff on the Injured List: Concern for the Brewers’ Playoffs

The Milwaukee Brewers have placed pitcher Brandon Woodruff on the 15-day injured list due to a right lat strain, putting his participation in the playoffs in doubt. Woodruff, who returned this season after shoulder surgery in October 2023, felt discomfort in his triceps during a bullpen session on Saturday. The initial evaluation identified the problem in the latissimus dorsi in the upper back.

This is a side effect of doing this again at a high level, and that’s all. Is this the end of my career? No, it’s nothing like that. It’s nothing comparable to surgery, but it’s one of those things that will heal, it will improve. It’s just a bad moment.

Brandon Woodruff

This news comes four days after left-handed pitcher José Quintana was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left calf strain. These two absences generate uncertainty for the Brewers, who have the best record in the league, about how they will organize their playoff rotation beyond Freddy Peralta and Quinn Priester. Since returning from the injured list in mid-August, rookie Jacob Misiorowski has allowed 21 runs in 30 and a third innings. Manager Pat Murphy talked about the possibility of giving him a relief role in the postseason.

Everyone who has thrown well is a factor, you know what I mean? How we organize it and how we finish will not be a big surprise to anyone.

Pat Murphy

The Brewers called up left-handed pitcher Robert Gasser to start the final game of the series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The move with Woodruff was retroactive to Thursday. Closer Trevor Megill, who has been out since late August due to a right flexor strain, could return for the final game of the season if his bullpen sessions on Tuesday and Friday go well. Quintana has been able to continue his throwing program while working on running to regain the health of his calf. Woodruff, 32, missed all of last season after surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule and is 7-2 in 12 starts since his return in July. Despite his current injury, he said he has exceeded his expectations in terms of limits on the pitches thrown this year between his activity in spring training and the season.

My biggest goal was to finish the year healthy. Hopefully we win the World Series, and now there’s a month left. But I knew, I knew deep down, the longer I went on, that’s the side effect [of the shoulder surgery]. … The longer you go on, things like this can happen.

Brandon Woodruff

Woodruff refrained from setting expectations about his short-term status, noting that he had not yet been able to visit Dr. Keith Meister, who performed the surgery.

The most important thing is to be here where my feet are and then take it one step at a time, but I can’t comment on whether or not the season will end.

Brandon Woodruff

Woodruff was expected to visit a specialist in St. Louis on Sunday before consulting with Meister.

Everything indicates it’s not the shoulder, and that’s good, but this is the kind of thing that happens when you’re recovering from an injury: you injure something else. So it’s devastating for the person, for Woody and how hard he’s worked to get here, and devastating for our team.

Pat Murphy