Notes: Woodruff takes another step towards long-shot bid for World Series roster

MILWAUKEE -- There was so much happening on the field in San Diego, it was easy to miss one notable development out in the bullpen.

Brandon Woodruff -- the veteran right-hander who not only avoided season-ending right shoulder surgery in August but also decided to embark on a long-shot bid to make the Brewers’ World Series roster as a reliever if they can get that far -- threw off a mound for the first time. Then he did it again Saturday afternoon before the Brewers’ National League Championship Series workout.

“San Diego was the appetizer before the full buffet today,” Woodruff said. “Twenty pitches, full-go. Or whatever my full-go is. I didn’t look at the radar gun. Me and radar guns don’t get along anymore.”

Woodruff threw all fastballs, but he’s been throwing breaking balls and changeups during his flat-ground sessions in recent weeks. If his arm recovers well on Sunday, he’ll try to throw more bullpen sessions with the aim of facing hitters in live batting practice before the start of the World Series.

He realizes that the Brewers would have to make it past the Dodgers for any of this to pay off. And even then, the calendar is working against him. But with all the years he’s logged with the Brewers, and all of the postseasons he’s missed since first injuring his shoulder in September 2023, he figured, “Why not try?”

“I’m going to try to force Murph’s hand,” he said, referring to Brewers manager Pat Murphy. “Listen, I’m crazy. It’s a tight window but I’m just trying to check boxes. I’ve made so much progress, and I’ve gotten a lot stronger. I’ve been consistently recovering the last two weeks.

“This might be crazy, I don’t know. If I didn’t have something to work towards and I was just sitting here watching, I would regret not trying. God forbid, we don’t move on, if I finish this thing well, then it sets me up great. Regardless of what happens, I would beat myself up if I didn’t try this.”

Pratt hits soda motherlode after NLDS celebration

Who can tell what lies ahead in the NLCS for Brewers rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt, but one thing is for sure.

He won’t be thirsty.

When he arrived at American Family Field on Friday for a workout, home clubhouse manager Ben Wilkes informed Pratt that he had a delivery. The fine folks at Coca-Cola had seen Pratt, who doesn’t drink alcohol, celebrating the Brewers’ triumph over the Padres in the NL Division Series with a couple bottles of Fanta, so they sent him five cases as a gift.

“I’m not going to complain. I’ll happily accept,” Pratt said. “Now I have five cases of glass Fantas to get through.”

The 22-year-old never expected his beverage choice amid the Brewers’ champagne- and beer-soaked clubhouse celebration to be such a big deal, but he was pleased it caught on. It provided a chance, Pratt said, to talk about his faith.

“I take my religion pretty seriously as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and we don’t drink, we don’t smoke or anything like that,” Pratt said. “I saw a lot of people saying, ‘Oh, it’s because he’s a member of the church.’ And yeah, they were right.

“I didn’t get to go on my mission out of high school because I signed to play baseball instead, so I think it’s cool that I get to serve in other ways. This is a different type of mission.”

What will he do with all that Fanta?

“I kept four cases here, hopefully for more celebrations,” Pratt said. “And I took one case home. I put it in my fridge for when I’m thirsty.”

Proud pop

Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel said his sons, Brady and Trey, won’t be able to make it to any of the games in this NLCS. They are both in Phoenix, playing in the Brewers’ fall program after Milwaukee selected Brady in the first round in 2025 and Trey in the first round in ‘26.

Missing this matchup spares the Ebel brothers a common question.

“They always get the question, ‘Who are you rooting for?’” Dino Ebel said. “They say, ‘The Brewers! We’re Brewers now!’”

Game 1 details set

Four-time All-Star Ben Sheets, who helped the Brewers reach their first postseason in 26 years in 2008, will throw the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 1 on Sunday night. Parking lots will open 3 1/2 hours before the first pitch and the ballpark gates will open 2 1/2 hours before the first pitch.