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The Milwaukee Brewers are patiently waiting for pitchers to return from the injured list. They are missing Brandon Woodruff, Nestor Cortes, and Aaron Civale from their starting rotation. Woodruff is inching closer to a return, but his rehab start revealed a potential concern.
The 32-year-old righty pitched in his third rehab start on April 17 in the minor leagues. The two-time All-Star cruised through the outing, needing just 61 pitches to get through five innings. From a mechanics and health standpoint, Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters that his pitcher is fine, according to Milwaukee Sentinel Journal reporter Todd Rosiak.
However, Murphy said that Woodruff's real test is in the days following his starts.
“We'll see how he recovers,” Murphy said about his star pitcher. “That'll be the big test.”
Woodruff was reportedly exhausted when he came out of the game. That news is cause for concern, seeing as major league baseball demands more than 61 pitches from starters on a regular basis.
Woodruff's recovery stretches all the way back to 2023. He went down late in that season with a shoulder injury. The pitcher needed surgery, and he hasn't stepped back onto the mound for the Brewers since.
Unfortunately, Milwaukee might have to wait a bit longer for their ace to return. Their pitching rotation is enduring injuries to many of their best arms. Civale, Cortes, and Woodruff have pitched a combined 11 innings so far this season. All three can hold their own when healthy, but injuries have limited them greatly.
Despite being without many of their pitchers, the Brewers remain feisty. Milwaukee is in the thick of the race in the National League Central, sights set on a division crown.
The Milwaukee Brewers are a decent team now. However, they won't fully realize their potential until Woodruff and others get back to the pitcher's mound.
