Brandon Woodruff is set to return to Milwaukee's rotation sometime during the series with the Reds that begins on Monday, giving the Brewers a needed boost after weeks of injury churn. Pat Murphy said the right-hander will be back in the mix during the four-game stretch, though the exact day of his first appearance is still not fixed.
That timing matters because Milwaukee has been searching for stability on the mound while its rotation depth has been tested by injuries. Woodruff had worked to a 3.60 ERA over six starts and 30 innings before shoulder inflammation sent him to the 15-day injured list on May 1, and the club took a cautious approach to his throwing progression before clearing him to return.
For Milwaukee, the immediate question is not whether Woodruff is coming back but who comes out to make room. Robert Gasser is the likeliest candidate to be dropped from the rotation once Woodruff is activated, which would leave the current alignment of Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat, Shane Drohan and Woodruff intact. Quinn Priester's season is already over, and Logan Henderson and Coleman Crow remain on the 15-day injured list, so the club is still managing around absences even as one of its key arms returns.
Woodruff's return gives the Brewers a more proven starter as they move into a series that should tell them a lot about the shape of the rotation going forward. The unanswered piece now is simple: whether his first outing comes early in the set with the Reds or later in the week, Milwaukee will have to keep juggling a staff that still does not have full health.
