Veteran pitcher Brandon Woodruff has had a rough go of it with injury woes this season, but he appears to be healthy and ready for the upcoming playoffs. With the postseason right around the corner, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy revealed his strategy to help ensure Woodruff remains as healthy as possible.
Murphy, who is 66 years old, claims that he plans to give Woodruff extra days off in between starts, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The 2024 NL Manager of the Year is prioritizing health for the Brewers' starting pitcher.
“Pat Murphy: — Reshuffling the rotation is to get Brandon Woodruff some extra days between starts. ‘The guy has come back from a major surgery. Just want to make sure that health is important. Regardless, we're still trying to win tonight.'”
The 32-year-old pitcher came back from a shoulder surgery he underwent in October 2023. He finally returned to the mound after 19 months out of action. This season, he has played for the Brewers a bit sporadically due to recovering from the surgery, as well as other injuries he's picked up.
He fell to right ankle tenitis in May, then suffered an elbow bruise after being hit by a line drive during a rehab assignment. That elbow bruise forced Woodruff to miss some extra time. However, when healthy, Brandon Woodruff has looked as good as ever for the Brewers. Through 59.2 innings pitched, he owns a 3.32 ERA and 9.955 WHIP while recording 74 strikeouts. He also owns a 6-2 win-loss record through 11 starts.
Woodruff was originally pegged for a start over the weekend in the Brewers' three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead, Pat Murphy has the two-time All-Star starting in Game 2 between Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Angels. So, we won't see Brandon Woodruff back on the mound until Wednesday, September 17.
