Bad Break For Brandon Woodruff, Attempting Comeback After 2-Year Absence

oodruff, on the verge of returning to the big leagues, now has right ankle tendinitis, and is shut down for a week

Once the co-ace of the Milwaukee Brewers' rotation, Brandon Woodruff hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2023 after suffering a shoulder injury and undergoing surgery. He was finally on the verge of returning to the mound with the Brewers next weekend, until an ankle injury has now shut him down.

Brandon Woodruff will not start for the Brewers this weekend as initially hoped. Him being returned to the IL is due to a legitimate injury with the ankle, Pat Murphy said. He’ll throw a minor league game next (after at least 7 days down) and then reassess.
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) May 12, 2025

When is Brandon Woodruff coming back off the IL?

Woodruff has right ankle tendinitis, and is shut down for a week, after which he'll likely make another rehab start in Triple-A, if all goes well. His 6th and what was presumably his final rehab start in Nashville on Sunday was limited to 39 pitches with the ankle injury. He had been dealing with it since his previous start.

Overall, he had a 2.81 ERA in those six minor league starts, with a 25:7 strikeout to walk ration in 25.2 innings.

The 32-year-old is a two-time All-Star, and finished Top 5 in the balloting for the Cy Young in 2021, when he posted a 2.56 ERA in 30 starts with a 0.96 WHIP and 211 Ks.

His 11 starts in 2023, before the injury, were even better, as he was sitting on a 2.18 ERA with a 0.82 WHIP and a 74:15 strikeout to walk ratio in 67 innings.

For his career, he has a 46-26 record, with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.

The Brewers' pitching staff has other injury issues as well, with the likes of Aaron Civale, Aaron Ashby and DL Hall also currently out, while Jose Quintana has had to be pushed back this week due to a minor injury.