Now that Brandon Woodruff is back with the Milwaukee Brewers, the main question is how many innings he’ll give his team this year.
The two-time All-Star hasn’t thrown 100 innings or more since 2022, and this season, he began the year still recovering from shoulder surgery, then ended it unable to compete in the playoffs due to a lat strain. Fortunately, that second injury was deemed not to be a result of any lingering shoulder troubles.
Having accepted the Brewers’ $22.025 million qualifying offer, Woodruff is the highest-paid pitcher in franchise history for a single season. He’ll be under pressure to stay healthy, so every update about how his offseason is progressing and how close he is to 100% is worth tracking.
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Woodruff gives positive health update heading into offseason
Jul 21, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
On Wednesday, Woodruff spoke to the media for the first time since his return to Milwaukee for a 10th season became official, and his updates on his health and projected offseason progression were highly encouraging.
“I’m two years post-surgery, and the surgery isn’t really a thought,” Woodruff said, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “I’m able to go through my program and have a good workout and feel good.
“I haven’t had that in a couple of years. That’s going to be massive for me going forward. I’m just currently in the middle of my workouts and ramping up to start throwing here in a week or a couple of weeks here.”
There was doubt about whether Woodruff would stick around, considering he probably could have gotten a multi-year offer even after a year in which he only made 12 starts. But between the qualifying offer and his $10 million buyout from his mutual option, he’s making over $32 million this year.
Getting paid like that to pitch in a place that feels like home just wasn’t something Woodruff felt he could pass up, and that familiarity should serve him well as he attempts to get himself in peak condition for a full season.
“As a player, you dream of getting to free agency,” Woodruff said, per McCalvy. “And let me tell you what — free agency is just a fancy word for saying you don’t have a job. It’s not the same for everybody. I’m lucky and blessed to be able to come back to Milwaukee. I think that frees me up to just go play baseball.”
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