Brandon Woodruff should have been celebrating one of the happiest weeks of his life. He and his wife just welcomed their third child, and the pitcher was preparing for his bobblehead day at American Family Field. But his celebration was marred by another major setback. Although Woodruff addressed the news with optimism, the surrounding circumstances didn’t make them sound that way. 

“I’m not having a funeral or anything,” Woodruff told reporters on Saturday, per Brewers insider Adam McCalvy. “Yesterday with the announcement, it seemed like I was having a funeral or I was announcing retirement or something, and that’s not it at all. I gotta have surgery. It’s unfortunate.”

Brandon Woodruff was put on a 15-day IL on July 5 due to shoulder inflammation. He was moved to 60-day IL last week, and manager Pat Murphy mentioned that “the outlook isn’t good.” Turns out, he will be undergoing a capsule surgery for the second time in his career. It’s the same thing he went through in 2023. And the righty spent around 20 months away from the game. This time, he has suffered a tear in the same area, which means his MLB journey for this season is done. And Woodruff will enter free agency after his 1-year, $22.025 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers ends this year. 

A capsule surgery on the throwing arm is one of the most critical procedures. And it heavily impacts performance, considering a pitcher can make a comeback following the surgery. And it hasn’t been very different for the veteran. 

After a multi-year absence due to his first surgery, he came back on the mound halfway through 2025. But he missed the postseason due to a lat strain. Then, earlier this year, he was sidelined, recovering from a cyst procedure. Woodruff made 9 starts this year, but there has been a significant drop in his velocity. 

Although the 33-year-old has expressed that he wants to make it back to the major league mound after going through rehabilitation, history isn’t making a strong case for him. 

Johan Santana from the New York Mets is the most recent example of a second capsule surgery. He suffered a tear of the anterior shoulder capsule in 2010 and had to undergo surgery again in April 2023. He attempted a comeback to the majors through a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014. But he never threw a pitch in MLB again. 

The fact that Brandon Woodruff is going through the same situation makes it way less optimistic for his fans and the franchise. And he is unlikely to be back before 2028. A 35-year-old pitcher without a contract, after two capsule surgeries, will surely have very limited opportunities. And that is if he can make it back to the mound. But the starter isn’t ready to surrender to such thoughts. 

Woodruff won’t let the setbacks define his career

“I’m never closing the door on pitching,” he made his stance clear, despite the reality of the situation. “I’m getting this [surgery] with the intention of rehabbing and taking care of that and being able to pitch again.”

The 2x All-Star has a 2.98 ERA this season. That’s one of the best figures in his 9-year career with the Brewers. And despite reduced velocity, he has recorded 47 strikeouts pitching 45.1 innings. 

The best part is that even before learning about the need for a second surgery, he was trying to adjust to his limitations. Instead of relying on upper-90s fastballs, he has learned to change speed and locate pitches more accurately. He has added 90-93 mph pitches to his arsenal, and he is showing results. 

“I stopped looking at the radar gun a long time ago,” he said. 

It shows how confident he really is with the evolution. And it’s hard for someone else to look at it through another lens when Brandon Woodruff himself is showing nothing but confidence. 

Although the Brewers manager initially termed it a “gut punch”, he too reflected the same optimism for the starter. 

“He makes the whole room relax,” Pat Murphy praised Woodruff for his mindset. “If anybody can, it will be him.”

And Brandon intends to stay with the team during his rehab. He wants to help the young pitchers while he has to stay off the mound. Woodruff will be going through one of the toughest phases of his career. But he has made it clear not to make it his final chapter. And the entire baseball community wants to see him set an example.