The news wasn’t necessarily surprising, but that doesn’t make it any less disappointing: Brandon Woodruff will not pitch in the National League Division Series.
The Milwaukee Brewers right-hander is dealing with lat strain, manager Pat Murphy said Oct. 3, that will keep him from pitching against the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS, but the team isn’t ruling out the possibility that Woodruff could return sometime this postseason.
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Woodruff has “eyes on” potentially returning if the Brewers reach the World Series. Because he isn’t yet able to play catch, it doesn’t seem plausible he could return for the National League Championship Series should the Brewers advance past the Cubs.
Woodruff landed on the injured list on Sept. 21 and early indications were it was unlikely he would be able to pitch again this year, but the Brewers left it open-ended as he sought second opinions.
Now that those have opinions have trickled in, the Brewers and Woodruff deemed the injury not so severe that he’s ruled out for the entire postseason.
The good news, Murphy indicated, is the injury is not related to Woodruff’s right shoulder, which he underwent surgery on in November 2023.
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Woodruff made 12 starts for Milwaukee this season, going 7-2 with a 3.20 earned run average. He will likely be a free agent at season’s end, with his contract featuring a mutual option that will almost certainly not get picked up.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers announce Brandon Woodruff won’t pitch in 2025 NLDS