Milwaukee Brewers lose Brandon Woodruff to season‑ending shoulder surgery

Milwaukee Brewers right‑hander Brandon Woodruff announced he will undergo another anterior capsule surgery on his right shoulder, a procedure identical to the one performed after the 2023 season. The surgery is expected to end his 2026 campaign; Woodruff had previously spent about 20 months rehabbing the earlier operation. Prior to the injury, he posted a 2.98 ERA over nine starts and 45⅓ innings this season.

Woodruff’s absence adds to a string of injuries for the Brewers, who entered the second half of the season with the second‑best record in MLB and a 3.48 ERA. The rotation has also been hit by setbacks to Kyle Harrison, Quinn Priester and Jacob Misiorowski. To bolster the staff, Milwaukee acquired veteran right‑hander Lance McCullers Jr. and left‑hander Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros in exchange for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder. McCullers will begin the season in the bullpen, while manager Pat Murphy acknowledged the “outlook isn’t good” for the pitching staff.