Brandon Woodruff Injury: Brewers Provide Update Before Nationals Game
The Milwaukee Brewers have been fighting to establish themselves in the National League Central, sitting only three and a half games behind the division leading Cincinnati Reds through the first full month of the season.
The Brewers are fresh of an emphatic 13-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the win didn't come without its share of drama. With two outs in the second inning, starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff left the game after a reduction in his pitching velocity.
This afternoon, before its series with the Washington Nationals began, Milwaukee announced that Woodruff would be heading to the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation (h/t Milwaukee Brewers).
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To fill his role until he recovers, the Brewers recalled right-handed pitcher Easton McGee from Triple-A affiliate Nashville.
The two-time All-Star told reporters that he was encouraged to see that the MRIs showed no structural damage in his shoulder. He had previously underwent shoulder surgery in October 2023.
"I got great news from the MRI," Woodruff said. "It's just proceed here and take the next steps, however long it is, but it shouldn't be too long."
His start versus the Diamondbacks was just his sixth of the season, and none of his pitches recorded faster than 86.9 MPH, a concerning stat as his season average has been 92.5 MPH. Brewers' training staff approached Woodruff to check-in and that was the end of his night.
"Typically I'm a slower starter when it comes to velo," Woodruff added. "I just didn't know if it was going to jump up in the second. I wasn't having pain. So I let our staff know, 'Look, I'm going to go back out, and if it doesn't get any better, then obviously there's no sense in continuing.'"
This is the latest setback for the 33-year-old as he continues his battle to stay healthy. He missed Milwaukee's run to the NL Championship Series last season. Woodruff had only just returned before the All-Star break in July 2025 after missing all of the 2024 season to shoulder surgery.
McGee joined the Brewers in 2025 and has only appeared in one game to this point in the season. He pitched a scoreless inning against the Nationals at the beginning of April and has been serviceable down in Nashville. The 28-year-old has posted a 3-1 record with a 6.39 ERA in eight games.
Woodruff, a lifetime Brewer, accepted a $22,025,000 qualifying offer this past offseason rather than hitting free agency.
Related: Brewers' Pat Murphy Announces Brandon Woodruff Update After Leaving Diamondbacks Game
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 4:25 PM.