Brewers insider reveals encouraging injury updates for three starting pitchers

In what was otherwise a disappointing Monday evening for the Milwaukee Brewers, the team offered some encouraging news regarding a few of their injured starting pitchers. Curt Hogg, the Brewers beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, was the bearer of the good news, relaying the information from manager Pat Murphy to the Brewers fanbase on the social media platform X.

While the developments are certainly good news as they each tell a story of a Brewers pitcher progressing well through their respective rehab processes, their eventual return to the starting rotation will no doubt result in some difficult roster decisions, adding to the several that the team has already had to make. Here's a recap of Hogg's wave of good news and what it could mean for the Brewers' roster going forward.

Brandon Woodruff once again just one step away from his return to MLB

Despite what has been one of the most frustrating rehab processes imaginable, Brandon Woodruff has somehow maintained a positive attitude. In an article from Joey Pollizze of MLB.com, Woody is quoted as saying, "It’s about putting everything in perspective. I was lucky that I got away with what I got away with. It could have hit me in the head," in response to being asked about the comebacker that struck him in his throwing arm in what would've been his final rehab start.

Twice, Woody has made it to his final rehab start and sustained an injury unrelated to the shoulder recovery that has kept him out of MLB since September 2023. However, as Hogg reports, Woodruff is now once again approaching the final step before his long-awaited return to a big league mound.

Though it's not official yet, as Hogg notes, Woodruff could be just one rehab start away from returning to the Brewers’ rotation. Without a doubt, it will be one of the most triumphant and hard-earned returns by a Brewers pitcher in recent memory. Woody was not only the team's ace (or co-ace) for four and a half seasons, but he was the heart and soul of the Brewers' pitching staff.

When he does return, he will for sure join Freddy Peralta, José Quintana, and Jacob Misiorowski in the Brewers rotation, but the remaining fourth pitcher is still uncertain. It will either be Quinn Priester or Chad Patrick who is sent down to Triple-A to make room for Woody, assuming the Brewers don't turn to a six-man rotation. Both Priester and Patrick are coming off poor starts, with Patrick's last three being his worst three starts of the year. Meanwhile, Priester, despite his poor last start against the Minnesota Twins, has a sub-3.00 ERA in his last seven starts and as of now seems like the candidate to remain in the rotation upon Woodruff's return.

Nestor Cortes right on track for a mid-season return

The Brewers' most notable offseason addition, Nestor Cortes, has not been a major contributor to the team's success in 2025. That's because he has been on the IL since April 4 with a left elbow flexor strain — concerningly the same injury that caused Cortes to miss time a season ago. Prior to landing on the IL, Cortes made two starts for the Brewers — one of which was the worst start of his career, and the other was one of his best.

In late April, the Brewers transferred Cortes to the 60-day IL, revealing to Brewers fans that his elbow injury was more serious than initially thought. That put his return timeline around the midway point of the season, a disheartening development for the 30-year-old southpaw, but not as bad as it could have been. Now, just over two months later, Cortes is right on track for a mid-July return, as Hogg revealed yesterday.

Here's where things get interesting. Let's say Cortes returns immediately after the All-Star break — which is probably the best-case scenario — and the Brewers don't sustain any injuries to their starting rotation before then. Now you have Peralta, Quintana, Woody, Miz, Priester, and Cortes all vying for five rotation spots (not to mention the four other major-league-caliber options the team has waiting in Triple-A Nashville).

With Cortes and Quintana both free agents after the season (yes, Quintana has a $15 million mutual option, but those are hardly ever picked up), the Brewers could certainly look to trade one of them prior to the July 31 deadline. But with Cortes making at most two more starts before the deadline, and already missing multiple months with an elbow injury, his trade value will only be as high as his inconsistent track record. Quintana, on the other hand, has been very steady and would be an excellent addition for a contender, but the Brewers still have playoff aspirations of their own. Do they gamble with the high-ceiling, low-floor Cortes or stick with Mr. Consistent in Quintana? Time will tell, but the Brewers are no strangers to toeing the line between buyers and sellers at the trade deadline.

Carlos Rodriguez avoids major injury, rehabbing in Arizona

At the beginning of the month, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com revealed that Brewers' pitching prospect, Carlos Rodriguez, was experiencing forearm discomfort in his return to Triple-A after battling through an impressive performance during a rain-affected Brewers game against the Pirates in late May. As Rodriguez was asked to pitch, sit through a rain delay, and then come out and pitch once again, many attributed that decision to his subsequent injury.

Additionally, "forearm discomfort" is generally a precursor to elbow injuries and, in the worst-case scenario, a UCL tear, leaving Brewers fans anxiously awaiting an update on Rodriguez's status. Now, that update has come, with Hogg once again providing good news to the Milwaukee faithful.

While Rodriguez isn't likely to impact the big league roster any time soon, and perhaps not even before the end of the season, a major elbow injury during what has been his best season of professional baseball would have been absolutely devastating. In nine starts for the Nashville Sounds this year, Rodriguez holds a 2.64 ERA with more strikeouts than innings pitched. After avoiding a major injury, hopefully Rodriguez can work his way back to at least a Triple-A mound.