Brewers' Brandon Woodruff Takes 'Home Run' Step Forward

The Brewers are trending in the right direction...

Sep 11, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) high fives teammates following the game against the Miami Marlins at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers are going to be a fun team to follow in 2025 and one of the biggest reasons why surely is the expected return of two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff.

Woodruff missed the 2024 season due to a shoulder injury. He has been working his way back and there was some chatter about his possible availability for the beginning of the season. At this point, there's no concrete date for Woodruff to return to game action, but he has been taking massive steps forward.

He recently faced live batters for the first time since his injury and recovered well. MLB.com's Adam McCalvy shared Woodruff had his second live batting practice on Friday and it was a "home run."

"Brandon Woodruff’s second live BP yesterday was 'a home run,' he said," McCalvy said. "Threw 26 pitches and touched 92 mph again. Recovered great. If the next few days go well, he could shave a day and go for 30+ pitches on Thursday. Timeline for games remains TBD."

If you are a fan of the Brewers, this is exactly what you should be hoping for right now. If the Brewers are going to be able to make some noise once again in 2025, it likely would mean that Woodruff is back at full strength. When he is healthy, he is one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Woodruff had a 2.56 ERA in 2021 across 30 starts. He followed it up with a 3.07 ERA in 27 starts in 2022. Woodruff was well on his way to another fantastic season in 2023 with a 2.28 ERA in 11 starts before going down with the shoulder injury.

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