Earlier this season, Brandon Woodruff wondered if he had thrown his last pitch in Major League Baseball.
He had just suffered another shoulder injury that required another capsule surgery, a procedure that he had just three years prior that held him out for roughly 20 months and came with multiple setbacks. He understood what the rehab would entail this time around, and that gave him hope. But there was doubt in the back of his mind that he would come back from it a second time.
Then, after consulting with Dr. Keith Meister weeks later, it was determined that Woodruff would not need surgery. There were no guarantees that he would pitch at all this season, and people around the team were skeptical that it would happen. But the one goal that Woodruff had in mind was pitching in the postseason, especially the World Series.
Brandon Woodruff has remained a massive presence with the Brewers
Woodruff, 33, has been with the Brewers for 10 seasons. He and Christian Yelich have laid the foundation for the organization to become annual postseason contenders and create an environment where young players feel comfortable and not overwhelmed by the bright lights of the postseason. Inside the clubhouse, players rave about Woodruff. “Big Woo is an awesome human being,” Jacob Misiorowski said. Oftentimes, as Woodruff will stand inside the dugout, players either tap him on the behind or on the shoulder as they run by.
Behind the scenes, Woodruff put himself in position to be ready to pitch for the postseason. The work on his right shoulder, he said, was monotonous and “if there’s one thing that’s off, it kind of goes down the puzzle and you have to start over.” Plenty of it was focusing on the little details during rehab. But once he got the assurance that he didn’t need surgery, he was hopeful that he’d pitch in the World Series.
“There’s some light at the end of the tunnel because — maybe I’m crazy — I think I can still throw a baseball,” Woodruff said. “Even when the rest of the world thinks I can’t do it, I’ve thought I can do it. I’ve always thought I can do it. That’s probably what keeps me going.”
Brandon Woodruff's goal after making the World Series roster: 'Let's go win this thing'
Ahead of the World Series, Pat Murphy and Matt Arnold had a difficult decision to make. One source close to the situation called it 50/50 whether Woodruff would be on the roster. Then on the eve of Game 1, as Woodruff was driving home from the ballpark, he got a call from Murphy. He made the team. It took a moment for the news to hit Woodruff.
“Got it,” Woodruff replied. “Let’s go win this thing.”
“That’s a great part of the story,” Murphy said. “He took it like any other player getting told, ‘Hey, you’re starting tomorrow’ or you’re doing whatever. … He was just like, ‘Got it.’”
The opportunity has not come through two World Series games. But Woodruff is ready for whatever that opportunity may look like, whether it’s at the start of the game or coming out of the bullpen. And if that moment comes, it’ll complete a return that no one thought was possible once the right-hander was initially told that he would need surgery earlier this year.
“Everything has had to work out perfectly and it has up to this point,” Woodruff said. “It’s been a wild ride. I wouldn’t want it any other way. For me, the struggle moments and then you’re healthy enough to try to contribute to this, it’s pretty cool.”
The next question for Woodruff entails how long he’ll continue playing. Retirement is not something that he has thought about yet. He isn’t sure if he would want to play until he’s 40. But he’s married to his wife, Jonie, and has three kids. He has made enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life. And with his history of shoulder injuries and other struggles, he admits he’ll “take it day by day and see where it takes me.”
“If I want to keep playing, I can keep playing,” Woodruff said. “If I don’t want to keep playing and feel like my shoulder can’t take it, then you know what? I have an awesome family at home. But I haven’t thought about that yet.”
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