Brandon Woodruff's Early Exit Just Became a Lot Worse: Shoulder Inflammation Lands Brewers Ace on IL

Here's the bad news nobody wanted to hear: Brandon Woodruff is heading to the injured list. The Brewers ace was placed on the 15-day IL Friday with right shoulder inflammation, and if you watched his Thursday start, you already knew something was seriously wrong.

What Happened in Thursday's Start

Woodruff made an early exit from his Thursday outing, and the velocity numbers told the whole story. His fastball was running much lower than normal, the kind of red flag that makes any pitcher and coaching staff sit up and take notice. That sudden drop in gas is never a good sign, especially for a guy like Woodruff who relies on his stuff to dominate.

The Timing Stings

This is rough timing for Milwaukee. Woodruff missed all of 2024 and didn't take the mound until the first three months of this season were already in the books. You're finally getting him back, he's making starts again, and now this. The shoulder inflammation diagnosis means he's going to be sidelined for at least another two weeks while the Brewers figure out what's going on under the hood.

The bullpen is going to have to pick up the slack while Woodruff works his way back. It's not ideal when your ace is limited, but that's the hand the Brewers are playing right now.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.