Milwaukee Brewers All-Star pitcher Brandon Woodruff provided some positive news regarding his injured ankle. He played catch for the first time Thursday since being placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to May 28th. The Brewers righty told reporters that he felt encouraged with how he felt afterward, according to MLB Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy.

“It was kind of a pass or fail thing. It was either better or not and it was better,” Woodruff said.

He went on to say that he believed his stint on the IL is likely to be on the shorter side.

The Milwaukee Brewers won the NL Central in 2021 behind the duo of Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff. They came out the gates hot in the 2022 MLB season and once again lead the division. However, they've mostly been doing it without the star duo on their rotation living up to expectations.

Burnes is backing up why he won the NL Cy Young Award last season. However, Woodruff has really struggled this year. Despite a 5-3 record, the Brewers starter has posted a 4.74 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) and only two quality starts. That's a far cry from the numbers he posted last year.

During 2021, Woodruff struck out 211 batters in just 179 1/3 innings, boasting a 2.56 ERA and an even more impressive 0.96 WHIP.

But this is a good sign that the Brewers 29-year-old should be back soon. The next step will be a bullpen session, probably followed by a rehab start. A mid-June return seems likely for Woodruff.

If Woodruff can find his form again, along with Burnes, they could be a forced to be reckoned with.