Brewers' veteran leader Brandon Woodruff returns for the World Series

He did it. He really did it. Brandon Woodruff has made the Milwaukee Brewers' World Series roster. What looked impossible even just a few short weeks ago has now come true, and it's a testament to Woodruff's unprecedented toughness, his dedication to the franchise, and the hard work he endured in yet another rehab process. Woody is back on a postseason roster for the first time since 2021.

It was by no means an easy decision for the Brewers, and manager Pat Murphy and president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said as much during their pre-World Series press conferences on Thursday afternoon. However, the biggest hurdle to Woodruff's inclusion on the World Series roster seemingly wasn't his preparedness to pitch on baseball's biggest stage, but rather the risk of re-injury. According to MLB's postseason roster rules, an injured player can only be replaced on a roster if he suffers a new injury. If a player suffers a recurring or already-present injury, which is the risk for Woody, he's not guaranteed to be replaced on the roster. In other words, if shoulder inflammation or a re-injuring of his anterior capsule in his shoulder forced Woodruff off the World Series roster, the Brewers may end up playing one pitcher down in the Fall Classic.

That, however, is a risk the Brewers are willing to take to include their veteran leader and franchise legend on the postseason roster. Just moments ago, the Brewers officially released their World Series roster, and Big Woo's name was included. Woodruff replaces right-hander Chad Patrick, and the rest of Milwaukee's 26-man roster remains unchanged from the group they carried in the NLDS and NLCS.

Brandon Woodruff is officially on the Brewers' World Series roster. What will his role be?

It's an incredible story, one that adds to the Brewers' memorable 2026 season. Way back in March when conversations regarding his Opening Day roster status were present, Woodruff noted that he would much rather pitch the last game of the season than the first. Woody's goal has been to return to the postseason, where he hasn't thrown a pitch since the 2021 season due to a frustrating string of injuries. He will now have a chance to do so.

While Woodruff has answered the question of whether or not he will be available for the Fall Classic, the attention now turns to what his role will be on Pat Murphy's pitching staff. As reported by Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, Woody threw a 23-pitch bullpen on Tuesday, which would suggest that he's not available in a traditional starter's role. However, there's also the argument that Woodruff's future is uncertain amid another shoulder injury, and if he remains effective as he "empties the tank" so to speak, in the World Series, the Brewers may just let him ride as long as he wants.

Therefore, Woodruff's role, at this point in time, remains up in the air. It will undoubtedly be affected by how the rest of the series plays out. Should the Brewers build a commanding series lead, maybe Woodruff earns a start in Game 4. Otherwise, perhaps his services will be used as a middle reliever to bridge the gap between Milwaukee's young starters and their dominant high-leverage relief corps. Murphy will by no means try to force Woodruff into a game just because, but in electing to carry Woody on the roster over someone like Patrick, the Brewers are communicating that they trust the Big Woo to earn meaningful outs in the Fall Classic.

Regardless of what his role ends up being, the fact that Woody is back for the World Series is truly remarkable. The Brewers helped the veteran starter by advancing to the Fall Classic and giving him an extra two weeks to recover, and now the franchise legend will try to repay his team with a heroic performance in the World Series.

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