Brandon Woodruff suffers fresh shoulder setback in Milwaukee Brewers defeat

PHOENIX: Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff suffered another injury setback after leaving in the fourth inning of his side's narrow 4-3 defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, raising fresh concerns over his fitness.

The 33-year-old was forced to leave the mound after striking out Adrian Del Castillo on a full-count pitch, with a team trainer accompanying him off the field.

Following the match, Brewers manager Pat Murphy indicated that Woodruff is likely to return to the injured list.

The outing was only Woodruff's third start since recovering from right shoulder inflammation, and the experienced pitcher admitted afterwards that the discomfort felt similar to the issue that had sidelined him earlier in the season.

"First inning was fine, then it was kind of a slow progression of discomfort," Woodruff said.

"It's kind of the life of my shoulder. You hope that it will hold on until the end of the year and then you reassess and make some adjustments. But it's kind of popped up on me here."

Woodruff has endured persistent injury problems in recent years, making just 32 starts since 2023 and missing the entire 2024 campaign.

The latest setback is another blow for both the pitcher and the Brewers as they continue their season.

"It gets a little frustrating dealing with this," he said. "It kind of comes in waves."

Before his early exit, Woodruff completed 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on two hits and one walk while striking out six batters.

His fastest pitch during the fourth inning reached only 87 mph, suggesting his shoulder issue had affected his velocity.

Despite the disappointing result, Woodruff had impressed since returning to the rotation, having not conceded a run across his previous two appearances.

He now holds a 2-2 record with an impressive 2.98 earned run average (ERA) this season as he awaits further medical assessment.