Brewers news: Sal Frelick injury update, Brandon Woodruff announcement, Lance McCullers' role

The Milwaukee Brewers won their first game of the second half last night thanks to the heroics of center fielder Garrett Mitchell. Not only did Mitchell make two incredible run-saving catches, one to end the 9th inning and another to end the 10th, but he also smashed a walk-off single up the middle in the bottom of the 10th frame to send the 38,000+ Brewers fans who endured Friday's heat home happy.

The victory, which came against the surging Miami Marlins, was Milwaukee's 60th of the 2026 campaign, giving them a new franchise record for the least amount of games needed to reach the 60-win mark in a season. The Brewers earned their 60th win in their 97th game of the season last night, breaking the previous record set by the 1979 Brew Crew, who reached 60 wins in their 99th game of the season.

Not only was it a record-breaking victory for the Crew, but it felt like a necessary one after the first-place Brewers limped into the All-Star Break. Milwaukee quickly put any lingering bad mojo from their sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the final three games of the first half behind them with their thrilling victory in last night's contest.

However, while a tally in the win column certainly gave the Brewers and their fans a positive feeling coming out of the break, a pair of concerning updates in the injury department cast a dark cloud over an otherwise ceremonious day. Let's take a closer look at these two disheartening updates, as well as information on how the Brewers plan to use their recent trade acquisition.

Sal Frelick "won't be able to go anytime soon" after exiting Friday night's game with shoulder soreness

When the Brewers took the field for the fifth inning in last night's contest, rookie outfielder Luis Lara, who was not in the starting lineup, was standing in right field in place of Sal Frelick. Being so early in the game, and with a right-handed starter on the bump, there was no strategic reason for manager Pat Murphy to swap Lara in for Frelick, leading many to accurately speculate that Frelick had left the game with an injury.

The Brewers offered an update in the middle of the game, noting that Frelick left the contest with right shoulder (his throwing shoulder) soreness. After the game, Murphy addressed the media and was asked about Frelick's status, and responded, "Sal tried to make a throw from the outfield and felt it [his shoulder]. He had a little issue with it already this season...they're gonna get it imaged here obviously, but I suspect he won't be able to go anytime soon."

Murphy wasn't ready to officially say that Frelick will require a stint on the IL, but the phrase "won't be back anytime soon" suggests the Brewers' outfielder will likely land on the 10-day IL prior to this afternoon's contest against the Marlins. With Lara on the roster, in addition to Mitchell, Jackson Chourio, and Jake Bauers, the Brewers should be more than able to handle a brief absence from Frelick, especially if he is replaced on the roster by another outfielder like Blake Perkins.

That said, a stint on the IL would undoubtedly be tough for Frelick, who has been playing his best baseball over the last two months. Since June 1, Frelick is slashing .275/.333/.392 with a 103 wRC+. A trip to the IL, no matter how long, would be a tough blow to the momentum that the Brewers' outfielder has built over the last seven weeks.

Brandon Woodruff set to make announcement regarding shoulder injury before the end of the weekend

During his pregame press conference on Friday night, Murphy was asked about the status of Brandon Woodruff, who suffered a new injury to his anterior capsule, which he had surgically repaired back in 2023, during his start against the Arizona Diamondbacks back on July 4. "I'm going to let Woody handle all this," said Murphy. Noting that today is Woodruff's bobblehead day, Murphy said, "I'll probably have him meet with you [the media] on Sunday."

Despite wanting Woodruff to be the one to break the news, Murphy did elaborate on his veteran right-hander's situation slightly. In a somber tone, Murphy said, "The outlook isn't good, you guys have determined that...It's extremely painful, to even think about, knowing what he meant to this organization, knowing what he meant to this team."

Those comments all but confirm that Woodruff's 2026 season is over, especially when paired with the fact that the Brewers placed him on the 60-day IL before they needed to clear a 40-man roster spot. With Woodruff being a free agent at the end of the season, the news could certainly mean the end of Woody's time in a Brewers uniform. It's not entirely out of the question that this injury puts an end to Woodruff's pitching career altogether, but as Murphy said, we are "going to let Woody get specific, and be the one to announce what he wants to announce in that regard."

Regardless of the extent of Woodruff's announcement, it's going to be an emotional weekend for the longest-tenured Brewer and the fans who have watched him don a Brewers jersey since the 2017 campaign. Woodruff has meant the world to the Brewers' organization and will go down as one of the best pitchers in franchise history.

Milwaukee to use Lance McCullers Jr. as a reliever at beginning of Brewers career

Over the All-Star Break, the Brewers swung a three-player trade with the Houston Astros that landed them right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and southpaw Colton Gordon. McCullers was an All-Star starting pitcher back in 2017 and finished seventh in AL Cy Young voting during the 2021 season. Though injuries have limited his availability over the last four seasons and impacted his effectiveness, McCullers remains an intriguing high-upside starter with plenty of postseason experience.

However, as revealed by Murphy during yesterday's pregame press conference, the Brewers will not use McCullers as a starting pitcher at the beginning of his time in Milwaukee. Instead, the Brewers will ease McCullers, who was on a rehab assignment for shoulder inflammation when they traded for him, back into action by giving him work out of the bullpen.

When asked about the decision to have McCullers start in the bullpen, Murphy replied, "I think to start, that's the way to do it. That's where we need help. He's dealing with his own stuff right now. First time away from Houston. It's gotta be a huge transition for him and his family."

It's a strategy the Brewers have used before -- easing players into the starting rotation with a few appearances in the bullpen. Generally, Milwaukee does so at the beginning of a player's career, but doing so with a previously injured player, who is joining a new team for the first time in his MLB career, makes a ton of sense, especially because the Brewers are likely to tinker with McCullers' arsenal slightly. However, if McCullers starts to show encouraging signs in the 'pen, don't be surprised if he soon joins the rotation.

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