Brewers news: Woodruff's start delayed, playoff clinch scenarios, how to watch tonight

The halfway point of September is nearing, and for Milwaukee Brewers fans, this time of year has meant magic numbers and postseason berths over the last few years. For a team that has made the postseason five of the last six years, fans have become accustomed to seeing their favorite players line the clubhouse walls with champagne and beer, and sometimes the champagne of beers — Miller High Life.

2025 has been no different for the Brew Crew, who have a chance to become the first team in MLB to punch their ticket to the postseason with a win tonight. The team is set to take on their rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, who were on the losing end of the Brewers' playoff-clinching win back in 2018. It's always nice to beat the Redbirds, but to clinch a playoff berth with a win over their ace, Sonny Gray, who pitches tonight, would be icing on the cake.

Here are a few storylines that have emerged prior to the Brewers' 7:15 first pitch against St. Louis tonight.

Brewers shuffle starting rotation to give Brandon Woodruff more rest down the stretch

It's no easy task returning to a big league mound after nearly two years of rehab following a major surgery, but Brandon Woodruff has made it look easy. The longest-tenured Brewer returned to the mound on July 6, and immediately reminded Brewers fans what they were missing with him on the shelf for the last two seasons. Woody tossed a six-inning gem, allowing just one run while striking out eight Miami Marlins on just 70 pitches. He's maintained that efficiency throughout his next 10 starts, and currently holds a stellar 3.32 ERA on the season.

Given his impressive comeback performance this season, and his coveted playoff experience, the Brewers' priority with Woodruff is to keep him healthy and fresh down the stretch. As such, while Brewers fans may have expected to see Woody on the bump in tonight's matchup with the Cardinals, they will instead have to wait until Wednesday, as manager Pat Murphy revealed on Friday afternoon that the team was shuffling their rotation to give Woody more days off, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Brewers beat reporter Todd Rosiak.

While some speculated that the move might actually be to reorganize the Brewers' starting rotation for the postseason, such an argument unfolds when you project Woody's final three starts. Assuming regular rest, Woodruff would make starts against the Angels next Wednesday, in game one of the Brewers' series against the San Diego Padres the following Monday, and in the last game of the regular season on September 28 against the Cincinnati Reds. It's unlikely the Brewers would elect to have Woodruff starting the final game of the regular season if they were making this move to set themselves up for the postseason.

With Woody receiving a few extra days of rest, it will be rookie Jacob Misiorowski on the bump for the Brew Crew tonight with a chance to officially clinch a postseason berth.

Brewers can clinch a postseason berth with a win tonight or losses by either the New York Mets or the Cincinnati Reds

The Brewers nearly clinched a postseason berth last night after they defeated the Cardinals, and the Reds lost to the Athletics. However, out west, in a late-night matchup of division rivals, Patrick Bailey of the San Francisco Giants hit a walk-off grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants win prevented the Crew from officially claiming a spot in the 2025 postseason last night, but Milwaukee holds an even easier opportunity to clinch on Saturday night.

Simply put, the Brewers need to win tonight to officially punch their ticket to the 2025 playoffs. However, they might not even need to do that. JR Radcliffe, an exceptional reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who also hosts the ever-entertaining Milwaukee Brewers Microbrew podcast, explained that the Brewers have already clinched a postseason spot by going through each extreme scenario and determining whether or not the Brew Crew would still be playing baseball in October. While Radcliffe's argument and explanation are sound, MLB still claims that Milwaukee has not officially clinched.

However, that is likely to change tonight, because not only can the Brewers officially claim their spot in the postseason with a win, but they can also do so with a loss from either the New York Mets, who are currently riding a seven-game losing streak, or the Cincinnati Reds, who face 2x All-Star Luis Severino tonight. Should any of those scenarios occur, expect a celebration in the Brewers clubhouse tonight, but one that acknowledges the work that is still left to be done if the team wants to accomplish their ultimate goal.

Tonight's Brewers vs. Cardinals game will be televised nationally on FOX

Broadcasting the Brewers' potential playoff-clinching game tonight will not be the regular Fan Duel Sports Network Wisconsin crew, but rather the national crew at FOX, who occasionally covers Brewers games throughout the season. As a result, the Brewers’ usual home weekend start time of 7:10 p.m. CT has been pushed back just five minutes, meaning tonight's first pitch will be thrown at 7:15 p.m. CT.

As previously mentioned, it will be rookie Jacob Misiorowski on the bump for the Brew Crew, and he will oppose St. Louis' ace Sonny Gray. The Miz is coming off his best start since the All-Star Break in which he went seven innings and allowed just one run to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Brewers are looking for the Misiorowski rollercoaster to steady a bit down the stretch, so that manager Pat Murphy can trust his rookie phenom when the postseason rolls around. Meanwhile, despite starting the year strong, Gray has an ERA north of 5.00 in his last 15 starts. He's allowed 10 earned runs in 11.1 innings over his last two starts, while walking more hitters than usual and striking out less.

If Misiorowski can turn in another start like his last one, the Brewers have an excellent chance of winning a second-straight game against their heated division foe. Should such a scenario occur, champagne will cover the walls of the Brewers' locker room before the night is up.