The Brewers provided mixed injury news on their rotation. Brandon Woodruff will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville tomorrow, according to an announcement from the Sounds. In less encouraging news, the team informed reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy) that Aaron Civale is headed for further evaluation after a setback in his recovery from a left hamstring strain.
It’ll be Woodruff’s first regular season game action since September 2023. The two-time All-Star underwent surgery to fix a capsule tear in his shoulder during the ’23 postseason. Milwaukee declined to tender him an arbitration contract before bringing him back on a backloaded two-year deal. Woodruff made $2.5MM while rehabbing last season and is playing on a $5MM salary this year. He’ll collect a $10MM buyout on a $20MM mutual option and return to the open market next offseason.
The Brewers knew at the time that Woodruff would not be able to pitch in 2024. They took things slowly this spring, announcing before camp opened that he’d begin the season on the injured list. Woodruff only tossed one MLB inning during exhibition play. He has continued throwing and will take on a decent workload in his first appearance. Curt Hogg of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel relays that Woodruff will work around 65 pitches and/or four innings tomorrow. He’ll presumably need a few turns through the Triple-A rotation before the Brewers are comfortable reinstalling him into the MLB staff.
Milwaukee has needed to stitch the rotation together behind Freddy Peralta. They acquired Quinn Priester from the Red Sox and recalled Spring Training signee Jose Quintana for his team debut tonight. Rookie Chad Patrick has been pressed into rotation work. He has managed 11 innings of three-run ball across his first three big league appearances, albeit with an unexciting 10:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It’s a similar story for swingman Tyler Alexander, who has surrendered four runs with 12 punchouts and seven walks over 12 2/3 frames.
Woodruff brings far greater upside than anyone else in the rotation aside from perhaps Peralta. He owns a 3.10 ERA with a near-29% strikeout rate across 680 1/3 career innings. It remains to be seen whether he can regain that effectiveness after a major shoulder procedure and 18-month layoff.
Civale opened the season in the rotation, but he landed on the IL after his first start. Nestor Cortes subsequently suffered a flexor strain that sent him to the injured list. Woodruff, Tobias Myers (who is on a rehab stint), DL Hall, Aaron Ashby and Robert Gasser had all begun the season on the shelf. While details on the setback are sparse, it doesn’t seem Civale is on the verge of a return. He is playing on an $8MM salary and will reach free agency next offseason.
Boy the Brewers could be in a great situation around the trade deadline. They could have a lot of decent starting pitchers in Peralta, Woodruff, Quintana, Civale, Ashby, Rodriguez, Patrick, Myers, Miz, Henderson, Gasser, Alexander, Peiester, Hall, Cortes. By then would love to see the rotation of Woodruff, Peralta, Myers, Patrick Ashby, and Mizo, then depth of Henderson, Preister, Gasser, Rodriguez and Crowe. Then trade Quintana, Cortes, Civale and Alexander to replinsh system or maybe even someone like Baty.
Baty can’t hit MLB pitching.
Ashby to the pen. He’s a proven asset there and hasn’t been a great starter, aside from maybe a couple seasons ago.
True but think the Brewers would be better having Hall in the bullpen with Megill plus Koenig and Hudson. So I think that Ashby as starter would benefit better. Think they should make Payamps and Pegura available.
True but I think Hall will eventually end up being the left side of a 1 2 punch with Megill in the back of bullpen. Then with Koenig and Hudson as leftys in pen so Ashby may be better in the rotation. Then you got Yoho, Middendorf, Holub and Yeager obviously ready for the majors which should make Pegura,Anderson and Payamps available to help restock the prospects too.
Nothing would surprise me with this Crew (pun intended). They know how to work it, which is why they stayed on top so far.
Woodruff could be a valuable trade asset, potentially fetching a top-50 prospect if the Brewers choose to explore that route midseason.
I don’t see that happening. If he’s pitching well, he’s 1 of your horses you try making a run in the post season with. If he’s not pitching well, nobody is giving anything of value for him with that buyout looming. The brewers gave him that backloaded deal knowing he wasn’t pitching in 24 and let’s see what you are in 25.