Brewers' Brandon Woodruff remains upbeat as he deals with one more obstacle in his comeback
Woodruff was on the verge of pitching in the majors for the first time since September 2023 when he was
struck in the throwing elbow
by a line drive with a 108-mph exit velocity during a rehabilitation appearance Tuesday for Triple-A Nashville. That left the two-time All-Star with a
bruised elbow
that will delay his return once more.
'That's life, you know?' Woodruff said Saturday before the Brewers' game against the San Diego Padres. 'I could have been walking down the street and broke my ankle walking off the sidewalk or something. It's about putting everything in perspective. I was lucky that I got away with what I got away with.'
Woodruff, who
missed the entire 2024 season
with a shoulder injury, isn't putting a timeline on when he could return from this latest issue. He noted that he's waiting for the swelling to go down before he begins throwing again.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy mentioned the possibility that Woodruff could start throwing again early next week and could have a bullpen session by at least June 17. The next step after that likely would involve throwing live batting practice and one more rehabilitation assignment.
'The one thing we don't want, for himself and for us both, we don't want this to turn into where we're rushing him back in any way, shape or form, right?' Murphy said.
Woodruff, 32, is grateful that testing revealed only had a bruise. He realizes it could have been a much more serious injury.
'It hit me in a spot where it didn't cause any damage,' Woodruff said 'I didn't know that in the moment. My biggest fear was that it was going to be broken and likely cost me the rest of the season.'
Woodruff
underwent surgery
to repair the anterior capsule in his throwing shoulder after the 2023 season, an issue that caused him to miss the Brewers' 2023 NL Wild Card Series loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He
hoped to return
early in the 2025 season.
It hasn't worked out that way.
On two occasions, Woodruff has sustained an unrelated injury while pitching in what he believed would be his final rehabilitation appearance before pitching in the majors again. He dealt with tendinitis in his right ankle last month. Now he faces the elbow issue.
'It sucked in the moment because I'd gotten to essentially the finish line the last two times and something has popped up,' Woodruff said. 'Stay positive. I look at it like my luck will turn around eventually, but man, that's baseball. Things can happen like that. Take it for what it is and just show up the next day and keep going.'
Woodruff owns a 3-1 record with a 2.11 ERA in nine minor league appearances, but a guy whose fastball velocity has exceeded 95 mph throughout his major league career hasn't approached that level in his most recent outings.
He also has 34 strikeouts over 38 1/3 innings in the minors this year. Woodruff has 788 strikeouts over 680 1/3 innings during his 130 career appearances with Milwaukee.
'The last couple outings, what we saw, obviously, he's holding back a little bit,' Murphy said. 'He had an ankle situation the last couple outings. We saw the stuff isn't 'old Woody' and I mean, yet. So, we'll deal with that when he comes here, but his stuff will tick up once he gets here.'
Woodruff acknowledges his velocity has gone down a bit as he works his way back, but he believes that will change once he's off the injured list and back in a Brewers uniform.
'Once you get here, it's a different animal,' Woodruff said. 'The adrenaline's pumping a lot more, so I'm expecting a little bit of a jump there.'
Woodruff isn't the only notable player the Brewers are hoping to get back. Murphy said Saturday that outfielders Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins could begin playing games later this month, first in Arizona and later in Nashville, with the hope that they could get activated before the All-Star break.
Perkins
still hasn't played this season after fracturing his right shin in batting practice early in spring training. Mitchell is dealing with a left oblique injury and last played on April 25.
___
AP MLB:
https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Leon Marchand breaks the 200-meter individual medley world record in 1 minute, 52.61 seconds.
SINGAPORE (AP) — Leon Marchand breaks the 200-meter individual medley world record in 1 minute, 52.61 seconds.
Fox Sports
11 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Former captain Brendan Taylor to make emotional return to Zimbabwe cricket after 3 ½-year ban
Associated Press BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (AP) — Former Zimbabwe cricket captain Brendan Taylor is set to return to international cricket after serving a 3 ½-year ban for breaching the sport's anti-corruption code. Taylor has been named in Zimbabwe's 16-member squad for the second test against New Zealand, starting in Bulawayo on Aug. 7. 'I certainly did think it was all done, but here I am - and it's an overwhelming feeling of gratitude,' Taylor said in a statement issued by Zimbabwe Cricket on Wednesday. 'I have to pinch myself a little to realise that I'm actually here. I've been soaking it all up and embracing every moment. It's just been a really nice integration. 'The last year and a half has certainly been dedicated to my return. I've put in an immense amount of work - from fitness to the technical side to diet - and I'm feeling a lot leaner, fitter and mentally stronger. That's only been possible through sobriety.' The International Cricket Council banned Taylor in Jan. 2022 after he admitted to four charges under the anti-corruption code stemming from an incident in 2019 when he said he accepted $15,000 from businessmen in India, who asked him to fix international games. Taylor claimed he took the money but never fixed any games. He also was found guilty of an anti-doping offense after testing positive for the stimulant Benzoylecognine, which is a cocaine metabolite. Taylor has undergone a thorough rehabilitation programme and has according to ZC, the former captain has 'consistently demonstrated a sincere commitment to personal growth, accountability and restoring trust.' 'Brendan has endured an incredibly difficult chapter in his life and shown genuine remorse, coupled with a powerful determination to make things right – not just for himself but for the good of the game in Zimbabwe,' ZC managing director Givemore Makoni said. Taylor has played 34 test matches for Zimbabwe since making his debut in 2004 that include six centuries. ___ AP cricket: recommended Item 1 of 1 in this topic
Hamilton Spectator
11 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Injured captain Ben Stokes ruled out of fifth test against India as England make 4 changes
LONDON (AP) — England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth and final test against India with a right shoulder injury. Ollie Pope, who bats at No. 3, will replace Stokes as captain for the test at the Oval in London, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Wednesday. Play begins Thursday, with India trailing 2-1 in the series and needing a win to draw. The 34-year-old Stokes was back to his inspirational best as an allrounder in last week's drawn fourth test, taking five wickets with some brilliant hostile and accurate spells, and finding his batting form again with an authoritative knock of 141 for his long-awaited 14th test century. He became England's fourth player to get five wickets and a century in a test. Stokes is the leading wicket taker across both teams with 17 — three more than Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj , with a lower average than both. But bowling long spells clearly took its toll on Stokes, who has struggled with injuries in recent years. He was hit by a bout of cramp on day 3. The intensity of the series so far has led to fatigue and injuries on both sides. India's batting star Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the fifth test with a foot fracture. He made 54 in the fourth test, despite playing with the injury. England will also be without pacers Jofra Archer — who only recently returned to test cricket after more than four years out — and Brydon Carse. Spinner Liam Dawson is also left out in one of four changes. Jacob Bethell replaces Stokes at No. 6 in the batting line up, while Gus Atkinson returns to bolster England's attack, along with Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue. The fourth test ended with tensions between the teams, with Stokes saying his opposite number Shubman Gill should have accepted his offer of a draw with the match heading toward an inevitable stalemate. But Gill chose to wait until Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar — whose watchful and stubborn long partnership helped save the test — had completed their centuries. On Tuesday, India head coach Gautam Gambhir clashed with ground staff at the Oval. Video footage showed Gambhir in a confrontation with Lee Fortis, the lead curator at the ground. ___ AP cricket:
