In a devastating development, Brewers place veteran starter on 15-day injured list

Not again. This can't be happening again.

In a shocking development, the Milwaukee Brewers have placed veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff on the 15-day IL with a right lat strain. The move is retroactive to Thursday, September 18, meaning if Woodruff is healthy, he will be eligible to return to the roster before the Brewers' first playoff game, assuming they secure a first-round bye, which they are on the cusp of doing.

The injury reportedly popped up during Woodruff's bullpen session on Saturday afternoon, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Curt Hogg.

The exact severity of the strain isn't yet known, and depending on just how bad it is, Woodruff could either be back for the postseason, or his 2025 season could be over. For Woody, who missed the 2023 postseason in similarly devastating fashion, it's a tragic development. Woodruff, the longest-tenured Brewer, worked incredibly hard to get back to the point that he is at right now, and constantly talked about how excited he was to pitch in the postseason once again.

Brewers place Brandon Woodruff on 15-day IL with moderate lat strain, postseason availability in question

There's still plenty of information that Woodruff and the team doctors need to gather, as noted by Woodruff himself, who discussed his injury with reporters just a moment ago. The following clip, from Hogg, makes clear both Woodruff's disappointment and the heaviness of the moment, quieting any beliefs that this may just be a creative way to get the veteran starter some extra rest before the postseason.

Year after year, a devastating late-season injury seems to take the wind out of the Brewers' sails. From Christian Yelich's knee injury in 2019, to Devin Williams' broken hand in 2021, to Woodruff in 2023, and then Yelich's back surgery a season ago, the Brewers have had rotten luck when it comes to late-season health during their current stretch of success.

It's too early to place this injury in that same category, as Woodruff still has a decent chance of returning before the postseason, assuming the lat strain is of the less severe category. However, for a team that already placed one veteran starter, José Quintana, on the IL this week, losing another with just seven games left in the regular season is a brutal blow, especially when it's a team leader like Woody.

More information on the severity of Woody's injury, his timeline for return, and how the Brewers will handle the postseason in his absence should it occur, will arrive sometime in the coming days. For now, the Brewers and their fans alike need only focus on the task ahead: winning a third-straight division title and clinching a first-round bye.