Brewers' Pat Murphy Announces Brandon Woodruff Injury Update Before Yankees Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Trant | Last updated May 9, 2026 6:11 PM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers entered Saturday with a 20-16 record, sitting at third in the National League Central and clinging to the final National League Wild Card spot.

Despite dealing with significant injury issues to their pitching staff throughout the early part of the 2026 season, the Brewers continue to feature one of baseball’s strongest rotations.

Still, one of the organization’s most important pitchers remains sidelined. Veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff has not appeared in a game since April 30th against the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he exited the game after facing only six batters.

His departure came after a sudden drop in his fastball velocity, where right shoulder inflammation resulted in an approximate seven mph dip from his previous average of 92.5 mph.

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53)© Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

When healthy, Woodruff has consistently been one of Milwaukee’s most dependable starters and a cornerstone of the club’s pitching staff since 2017. The two-time All-Star has started six games in the 2026 season, carrying a solid 3.60 ERA and a sensational 1.03 WHIP.

On Saturday, Brewers manager Pat Murphy provided a potentially encouraging update regarding the former All-Star, revealing that Woodruff threw for the first time since suffering his injury.

“Updates from Pat Murphy: Woodruff threw for the first time today since injury,” reported David Gasper of Brewers Daily on X.

For Woodruff, the update represents an important early step in his recovery process, and he is eligible to return from the 15-day IL on May 16 and appears on track to do so.

Updates from Pat Murphy

- Woodruff threw for the first time today since injury
- Quinn Priester's bullpen yesterday went well, but its still going to be a while before he's back
- While still too early for a Brandon Lockridge timeline to return, "at the shortest, it's a month"
— David Gasper (@dgasper24) May 9, 2026

Murphy also provided updates regarding right-handed starter Quinn Priester and outfielder Brandon Lockridge. Priester, who has yet to appear for Milwaukee this season due to neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), was a quality starter for the Brewers in 2025 and carried a 13-3 record with a 3.32 ERA.

Brandon Lockridge, who was hitting .294 before his scary collision with a side wall on Friday, was placed on the 10-day IL with a right knee laceration and contusion.

Milwaukee’s pitching staff has been able to remain afloat largely due to the emergence of young flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski. The towering 6-foot-7, 24-year-old starter has thrown himself into elite ace conversations, boasting a 2.45 ERA and a league-leading 70 strikeouts.

As they enter Saturday’s game against the New York Yankees, the Brewers will look to maintain their playoff position behind a rotation that has continued to produce despite key injuries.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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