Brewers’ upcoming rotation schedule reveals concerning Brandon Woodruff trend

Heading into the week, there was hope that Brandon Woodruff would finally return to the Milwaukee Brewers' rotation following a lengthy absence stemming from shoulder inflammation and a "dead arm." The veteran right-hander has been out since late April, enduring yet another injury to his upper body.

Unfortunately, the team has announced its probable starters for the upcoming home series against the Cleveland Guardians, and Woody is nowhere to be found. Instead, the team will roll out Robert Gasser, Brandon Sproat, and Shane Drohan in the three-game set.

It's unclear exactly when Woodruff is now expected to return, though we can try to connect the dots with the information available to us.

Brandon Woodruff's return to Brewers continues to be pushed back, now likely to come in final week of June

Manager Pat Murphy suggested over the weekend that Woodruff will take one final rehab start early this week; he last pitched on June 9, meaning a start on Tuesday (June 16) would give him a week of rest to build up his pitch count. That most recent outing wasn't spectacular (three runs allowed in 3.2 innings in the Complex League), so it's not too surprising to see the Brewers play things cautiously with such a commanding lead in the NL Central.

If he does throw within the next few days, a return to the fold next week is a reasonable target for Woodruff. The Brewers will open the week in Cincinnati, followed by a day off and then a three-game set at home against the Cubs. Depending on whether they want him to pitch at home or on the road, either series should be on the table, barring any setbacks.

Whenever he does return, the longtime ace should cause a ripple effect within the pitching staff. Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison are locked in as the top two starters, but any of Robert Gasser, Brandon Sproat, and/or Shane Drohan should be considered fair game to be replaced. With Coleman Crow recently hitting the injured list -- and Quinn Priester's season from hell hitting another roadblock -- Woodruff should have no trouble reassuming a key role the moment he's healthy.

Prior to getting injured, the 33-year-old had recorded a 3.60 ERA and 3.97 FIP across six starts. He's no longer the strikeout-and-control behemoth he was during his prime, but Woody remains an effective contact manager who rarely issues a free pass to first base. If his new cutter-focused arsenal goes to plan, he could restore some of the whiffs he's lost to velocity and age in recent years.

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