PHOENIX -- The landscape of the Brewers’ pitching staff has undergone some changes over the past few seasons, but Brandon Woodruff is hoping to restore some stability in 2026.
Milwaukee’s elder statesman enters his 13th year with the organization finally feeling healthy after missing all or parts of the last three seasons due to a 2023 shoulder surgery and a lat strain that ended his ’25 early.
"I knew it was going to take me two years or more to kind of feel normal again,” Woodruff said after his workout at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Thursday. “And it truly has taken that long, off of the surgery from October '23, but now I feel good."
Manager Pat Murphy, looking to lead the Brewers to a third straight NL Central title, fully expects Woodruff to be ready for the start of the season, but the club is making sure it goes about it the right way, especially during these early days of camp.
“This is a time of year where people are very vulnerable, very vulnerable,” Murphy said. “So you have to be mindful of that. And a guy with an injury history, you’ve got to be even more conscientious about how you use them.”
That’s just fine with Woodruff, who arrived at Maryvale with a simple goal.
"Just stay healthy,” he said. “Honestly, that's not too much to ask for, man. Just to be healthy, you know, that's all I want."
Woodruff, rather than electing free agency, accepted the Brewers’ $22.025 million qualifying offer in November, making him the highest paid pitcher for a single season in club history.
“I think one of the biggest things that we obviously did this offseason was bring Brandon Woodruff back,” said president of baseball operations Matt Arnold. “I think it's one of the biggest deals in the history of our franchise, especially for a pitcher that we value greatly. To have that support from ownership to bring a guy back like Brandon Woodruff, who means a lot to this franchise, is something I'm very thankful for."
Woodruff’s last few seasons haven’t gone the way he’d like, but he felt like Milwaukee was the place for him to right the ship.
“When I got down to that decision, it was pretty clear for me,” Woodruff said. “And if I had to spend anywhere in the Major Leagues to pitch one year on a one-year deal, for me, it's a pretty easy decision to pitch here.
"The city has been great to me and it's just a place I'm comfortable. I know where my stuff's gonna be when I get to Milwaukee. I know where I'm living. ... My family's comfortable. I've had a kid in Milwaukee, going to have another one in Milwaukee, so it's just a place I'm very familiar with.”
The 33-year-old Woodruff knows this is a prove-it deal, and he thinks he’s in position to do just that.
"It feels like I'm finally to the point where I can do stuff and I just don't have to think about my shoulder, which is a good thing,” Woodruff said. “You'll have the normal ups and downs of the season in terms of how your body feels and stuff like that, but in terms of day to day, I feel way better.”
It’s too early to set the starting five in stone, as the Brewers have a lot of talented arms in camp vying for a rotation spot. But Woodruff is expected to anchor an otherwise very young group that figures to include Quinn Priester (39 career starts), Kyle Harrison (37), Chad Patrick (23) and Jacob Misiorowski (14).
The saying “you can never have enough starting pitching” certainly applies to the Brewers, who used 17 starting pitchers (when you count openers) in each of the last two seasons.
One name you won’t see in camp, however, is Freddy Peralta, who was traded to the Mets last month. Not having him in the clubhouse will be an adjustment for everyone, but the move was especially impactful for Woodruff.
"I called Freddy as soon as I saw the news,” Woodruff said. “I mean, I played, I don't even know how many years, eight or nine years with Freddy, including the Minor Leagues, so he was not only my teammate, he is my friend. So it was tough to see that part of it, but you understand that's just part of this game.”
Peralta leaves big shoes to fill, both on the mound and in the clubhouse. Woodruff just might be the man for the job.