Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff will not need another shoulder surgery after an encouraging scan revealed more healing than expected.
Brandon Woodruff’s outlook with the Milwaukee Brewers changed dramatically over the weekend.
The veteran right-hander had been preparing for another season-ending procedure on his right shoulder after dealing with inflammation that sidelined him in July. However, a recent scan showed enough healing to convince doctors that surgery is no longer necessary.
Instead of undergoing another operation, Woodruff is scheduled to begin a five-week throwing progression Wednesday. While a return to the mound this season remains far from certain, the change in plans gives the Brewers something they did not believe was possible just weeks ago: a chance to have Woodruff pitch again in 2026.
Woodruff’s recovery is especially significant considering what he has gone through over the past several seasons. He underwent surgery on the same shoulder in October 2023 and needed roughly 20 months to work his way back to the mound.
When Woodruff finally returned in 2025, he showed that he could still be an important part of Milwaukee’s rotation. He posted a 3.20 ERA across 12 starts before a right lat strain ended his season in September.
Shoulder inflammation became an issue again this year. Woodruff missed time in May because of the problem but eventually returned to the rotation and put together a 2.98 ERA over nine starts before another bout of inflammation forced him back onto the Injured List in July.
The Brewers initially expected Woodruff to require another procedure to repair his shoulder capsule. That possibility raised serious questions about whether the 33-year-old could continue his career, especially after the amount of time he had already missed.
Now, those concerns have been replaced by a much more optimistic possibility.
Woodruff still has plenty of work ahead of him before he can realistically consider returning to a major league mound. He must first complete his throwing progression, build up his arm and prove that his shoulder can handle the demands of pitching again.
There is also no guarantee that he will be ready before the end of the season. The Brewers will have to carefully monitor his progress and determine whether rushing back would create unnecessary risk.
Still, simply avoiding another surgery represents a major development for Woodruff and Milwaukee.
The right-hander has been one of the organization’s most important pitchers when healthy, and his experience could provide significant value to a Brewers pitching staff that has dealt with injuries and relied heavily on younger arms.
A return this season may still be unlikely, but the possibility is no longer completely out of the question. After spending much of the summer preparing for another lengthy recovery, Woodruff can now focus on throwing again and seeing how far that progression takes him.
For a pitcher whose career appeared to be facing another major setback only a month ago, that represents a significant change in direction.
