Brewers Ace Expected To Miss "Most, If Not All" of 2024 Season

A huge blow to the Milwaukee Brewers, and to starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff, who was scheduled to become a free agent next winter. He's now expected to miss the entirety of the 2024 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Brandon Woodruff might miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing surgery today to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder, per @BNightengale pic.twitter.com/lzRx7EEboj
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 13, 2023

Woodruff had the anterior capsule in his right shoulder repaired after missing four months of the just-concluded season with a subscapular strain in his right shoulder.

When he was on the field, he was as dominant as ever, going 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA and WHIP of 0.82 over 11 starts, while striking out 9.9 per nine innings.

Now that Woodruff will be absent for the 2024 season, the Brewers have a big decision to make on their co-ace, Corbin Burnes, who is also set to become a free agent in 2024, and is not likely to re-sign in Milwaukee. A trade of Burnes was a distinct possibility this offseason as a result of that, but now, those plans could change.

As for Woodruff, and the final year of his team control (projected at over $11M through arbitration), it's possible that the cost-conscious Brewers might even cut ties with the pitcher, or try to re-sign him to an extension at an extremely team-friendly rate.

Woodruff, 30, is a two-time All-Star, with a career 46-26 mark, a 3.10 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP over his seven years in Milwaukee. The void he leaves in the rotation will be extremely difficult to fill.

Photo: Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK