Brandon Woodruff Is Nearing a Return From Injury

The All-Star Break has arrived which means we've reached the halfway point of the 2023 MLB season. That seems like a good time to check in on some injured stars -- today focusing on Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff.

Injury Update

Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Sunday and will throw another on Thursday.

Although he threw just 25 pitches on Sunday, this was significant given he previously made it through two bullpen sessions at the end of June before having to pause his recovery.

Keep an eye on the results from Thursday's session, but Woodruff looks slated to rejoin the Brewers' starting rotation in August, barring any setbacks. He will likely need to complete at least one rehab start before returning to the majors.

Timeline

Brandon Woodruff last appeared in an MLB game on April 7th. He made just two stars before hitting the injured list (IL) -- allowing just a single run on seven hits and three walks in 11.1 innings of work.

He was initially placed on the 15-day IL on April 12th for right shoulder inflammation. Shortly after, the team announced he had been diagnosed with a sub-scapular strain in that right shoulder. While that resulted in him being moved to the 60-day IL, he at least didn't require surgery.

Following an MRI on April 28th, the Brewers wanted to "move forward building him up" and they expected him back before the All-Star Break. After some pauses in his recovery, he threw his first bullpen session on June 17th, the another on the 27th before regressing back to strictly flat-ground work. He returned to the mound for the first time since June 27th this past week.

Brewers Odds

As it currently stands, the Brewers are a slight favorite to win their division, per the NL Central odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Their division odds have gone up slightly since Woodruff hit IL. On April 12th, Milwaukee was a -135 favorite to win the NL Central.

However, their World Series odds have skyrocketed since Woodruff went out. They currently hold +5500 odds to win the World Series, compared to +2000 back on April 12th.

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