Brandon Woodruff exits Brewers game early after concerning dip in velocity

Brandon Woodruff's sixth start of the 2026 season did not go according to plan. The Milwaukee Brewers' veteran, who has battled injuries over the last three years after his major shoulder reconstruction, which occurred shortly after the 2023 season ended, exited Thursday afternoon's game with one out in the second inning.

Though it wasn't obviously apparent what the nature of Woodruff's injury was, his severe dip in velocity was an indication that something wasn't right. The 33-year-old Woodruff was averaging 92.5 mph on his four-seam fastball through the first month of the 2026 season, but on Thursday afternoon that average plummeted to 85.4 mph. A 7.1 mph dip is nothing to overlook, and though Woodruff battled through four outs for the Crew, he was ultimately pulled in the second frame.

Brandon Woodruff exits start against D-Backs with apparent injury evidenced by a severe dip in velocity

It wasn't just the fastball that was sitting at a much lower average velocity for Big Woo this afternoon. His cutter, which has sat in the upper 80s all season, averaged just 83.8 mph today, and even his changeup, which carried an average velocity of 83 mph prior to today, dipped down to 78.9 mph.

Paired with Woodruff's recent injury history, the dip in velocity is extremely concerning. The veteran leader of Milwaukee's pitching staff has worked incredibly hard to get to the point that he is at today, and any setback, even a minor one, would be very difficult for the 2x All-Star to stomach.

Woodruff was off to a strong start in 2026, with a solid 3.77 ERA through his first five games to prove it. Though his strikeout rate hasn't returned to the impressive mark at which it once stood, Woody's re-worked, highly-efficient arsenal has paid off and looked like a sustainable repertoire prior to today's outing.

More information will surface as the game goes on and Pat Murphy and Woodruff address the media following the contest. Stay tuned for more on this developing situation.

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