When can we expect Brandon Woodruff's return now?

The Milwaukee Brewers just can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to keeping their starting rotation intact. What looked like one of the deepest staffs in baseball going into the 2025 season quickly turned into a game of survivor. And now, the long-awaited return of two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff is once again postponed.

Woodruff, who had been inching closer to rejoining the Brewers after missing the entire 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgery, made a rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A Nashville. It was supposed to be Woodruff's final tune-up before returning to the big leagues, but after just 39 pitches and 2⅓ innings of work, the big right-hander exited the game with what has now been revealed as a nagging ankle issue.

To make matters worse, MLB’s injured list rules now prevent Woodruff from making any appearances at any level for seven days. It’s an unwelcome pause for a pitcher who has already missed far too much time.

Brandon Woodruff's return won't be for at least a week and a half

Brewers manager Pat Murphy confirmed that the team is adjusting the plan. Woodruff will need to test the ankle in another couple of minor league starts before the club can even think about activating him. MLB.com Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy revealed this plan after a conversation with Murphy on Monday, when Woodruff's ankle injury was revealed. As Adam reported, "Murphy said the rule for the current scenario is that Woodruff cannot pitch for an affiliate again for at least seven days. Whenever he’s ready to go again, the expectation is that he will test the ankle in the Minors, and not jump straight to the Majors, Murphy said."

So when can Brewers fans expect Woodruff's return?

Seven days from this past Monday would mean that Woodruff could make a start for the Nashville Sounds at the earliest next Tuesday, when the team faces off against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Assuming the Brewers give Woody at least four days of rest after that start, the earliest he could return to the big league club is Sunday, May 25, when the Brewers face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. The Brewers will be halfway through a grueling stretch of 19 games in 20 days, so they could swap Woody for a reliever on the roster and opt for a temporary six-man rotation.

However, if Woody requires multiple minor league rehab starts to work out his ankle injury, it's possible that Brewers fans don't see him on a big league mound until the team's series in Philadelphia on the weekend of May 30.

While the news is tough to swallow, Brewers fans should remember how important a healthy Brandon Woodruff is. He’s a legitimate frontline starter who can change the course of a season. A career 3.10 ERA pitcher with two All-Star appearances to his name, Woodruff’s pinpoint command with his fastball and devastating arsenal of secondary pitches make him one of the league’s toughest matchups when he’s on. He’s the kind of pitcher who can go toe-to-toe with any ace in baseball, deliver shutdown performances in big games, and stabilize a staff that’s desperately searching for consistency.

Woodruff’s return could be a game-changer for the ballclub and help them stay in the race. For now, they’ll have to wait and hope that this latest setback is only a brief detour.