CHICAGO -- Brandon Woodruff and the Brewers haven’t given up hope of playing October baseball.

Woodruff, sidelined since the final week of July by a strained left oblique, threw off a mound for the first time on Friday before the Brewers began the first of consecutive critical weekend series against the Cubs, who currently are positioned as the National League’s second Wild Card. It was a brief and light mound session for the All-Star right-hander, who will have to repeat the process several more times at increasing levels of intensity before he is ready to pitch in a game.

• Wild Card standings

“We’re trying to get him healthy for October,” manager Craig Counsell said. “I mean, I think Brandon can play a huge part in this thing. The best-case scenario is obviously sometime late in the second half of September and [early] October. That’s why we’re trying to get him healthy.”

What’s next?

“We just have to keep making progress there,” Counsell said. “I wouldn’t [circle a date] yet. I don’t think we’re at that point. I mean, I think we’re getting closer to being able to do that, but we don’t have a date yet.”

Woodruff was 11-3 with a 3.75 ERA in 20 starts when he got hurt. The Brewers were 16-4 when he took the mound.

Nelson, Suter on the way

Counsell confirmed that right-hander Jimmy Nelson and left-hander Brent Suter will be among the first wave of September callups when rosters expand on Sunday. Both pitchers are on the 60-day injured list, so the Brewers will have to clear spots on the full 40-man roster for their return.

Suter has yet to allow a run this season in his comeback from Tommy John surgery. He pitched eight times in the Minor Leagues, including four appearances at Triple-A San Antonio, and scattered four hits and three walks and struck out 25 over 16 2/3 innings for four affiliates.

Nelson, who made it back to the Majors earlier this season after missing parts of three seasons following shoulder surgery, pitched better in August for San Antonio, where he logged a 3.38 ERA and held opponents to a .149 average in 13 1/3 innings.

Last call

• Third baseman Mike Moustakas resumed some activity on Friday but remained absent from the lineup because of swelling in his left wrist and palm.

“He’s still sore, but we’re making progress, is what I’d say,” Counsell said. “He’s itching to get out there, and as soon as he can, he’ll be out there.”

• Reliever Jeremy Jeffress resumed playing catch for the first time since the Brewers placed him on the 10-day IL with a strained left hip. Friday was his sixth day on the IL.

• Friday marked the first of seven scheduled games in the span of 10 days between the Brewers and Cubs, who have gotten to know each other well playing a ton of games with postseason implications over the past three seasons.

“As players, when you start facing teams more often ... the secrets go away. Execution becomes important,” Counsell said. “There’s no new tricks as far as a hitter’s swing or what a pitcher is going to throw. It’s really skill level, right? You’ve got to do your job, you know? It’s the players’ game, it’s them knowing each other and having a lot of information to go on against each other. It is a true sign of Major League Baseball, because it’s the little cat-and-mouse game with the individual matchup that the hitter and pitcher play with each other.”