Brandon Woodruff Returns for Brewers’ World Series Roster

Brandon Woodruff completed an improbable recovery from a right shoulder injury on Friday, October 23, earning a place on the Milwaukee Brewers’ 26-man World Series roster just two months after he was scheduled for season-ending surgery.

Milwaukee added the 33-year-old right-hander in place of Chad Patrick, the only change from the roster that swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The Brewers will carry 13 pitchers and 13 position players against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Woodruff turns canceled surgery into World Series return

Woodruff has not pitched in a game since July 4, when another setback in his surgically repaired shoulder appeared to end his season. Surgery was scheduled for August, but a follow-up scan showed enough improvement for the two-time All-Star to cancel the procedure and begin throwing again.

He progressed from flat-ground work to bullpen sessions during Milwaukee’s first two postseason rounds. On Tuesday, Woodruff faced hitters for the first time in nearly four months, throwing 23 pitches to a group that included Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras and Christian Yelich.

Woodruff said his fastball sat between 90 and 92 mph in the simulated game. The Brewers still accepted a measure of risk: because the shoulder problem was already known, the club understood that MLB might not approve a roster replacement if Woodruff suffered another injury during the series.

Experienced October arm returns to Milwaukee

Woodruff made nine starts in the 2026 regular season, going 2-2 with a 2.98 ERA before the shoulder issue returned. He owns a 3.18 ERA with 40 strikeouts and four walks across 28 1/3 career postseason innings.

That record gives manager Pat Murphy a proven option in a series where bullpen depth could become decisive. Woodruff’s precise role has not been announced, but after three consecutive postseasons lost to injury, Milwaukee’s longest-tenured active player is finally available on the sport’s biggest stage.

The Brewers open the World Series against the Rays on Friday night at American Family Field, their first appearance in the Fall Classic since 1982.