Brewers weigh Brandon Woodruff’s World Series roster spot after live batting practice
Milwaukee must decide whether the injured pitcher’s potential contribution outweighs the risk of carrying a player it may be unable to replace during the series.
The Milwaukee Brewers were weighing whether to include Brandon Woodruff on their World Series roster on Thursday, October 22, in Milwaukee, after the pitcher threw in live batting practice but had not appeared in a game since July 4. The choice matters because a recurrence of his shoulder problem could leave Milwaukee unable to replace him during its series against the Tampa Bay Rays, according to the Associated Press.
Woodruff threw 23 pitches to hitters on Tuesday, October 20, as he worked toward a return. The two-time All-Star said he could understand either roster decision: ‘There’s a lot to mull over for them, for sure, about me,’ he told AP.
Why Woodruff’s roster spot carries a risk
AP reported that a club may ask the commissioner to replace a player for the rest of a series after an acute, non-chronic injury or ailment. Recurring soreness does not qualify under that rule. If Woodruff were selected and his shoulder trouble returned, the Brewers could not fill his roster spot, AP reported.
Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold acknowledged the uncertainty while saying a healthy Woodruff is a pitcher the team would want. Manager Pat Murphy said Milwaukee would discuss the decision Thursday, including the restriction on replacing him. Murphy said Woodruff threw well in Tuesday’s session.
Woodruff’s injuries and Milwaukee’s World Series return
Woodruff went on the injured list in early May after a drop in velocity led him to leave a game in the second inning. He returned in late June, then experienced another velocity dip in his July 4 start at Arizona and has not pitched in a game since. He had expected to need another anterior capsule operation before learning it was unnecessary, AP reported.
His previous anterior capsule surgery followed a shoulder injury that kept him out of the 2023 playoffs. A lat strain prevented him from pitching in last year’s postseason. His record explains the attraction despite those absences: his 3.10 career ERA is Milwaukee’s best among pitchers who have thrown at least 500 innings for the club, according to AP.
Milwaukee is scheduled to open the World Series against Tampa Bay on Friday, October 23. ESPN reported that the Brewers last reached the series in 1982, when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games, and that they entered this postseason after the best regular-season record in the majors. Milwaukee has never won the World Series. AP had not reported a final decision on Woodruff’s spot as the team prepared its roster.
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Sources and context
- Brewers face tough choice of whether to include Brandon Woodruff on their World Series rosterAssociated Press, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Party like it's 1982? What baseball looked like during Brewers' last World SeriesESPN
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
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