Brandon Woodruff’s Shoulder Injury Is No Shrugging Matter

The Brewers introduced on Sunday that pitcher Brandon Woodruff’s shoulder ache has been recognized as a light subscapular pressure, which means a visit to the injured checklist was so as. However whereas the phrase “delicate” seems, the result’s something however, because it’s nearly sure that he’ll spend considerably extra time on the IL than the minimal 15 days, and a visit to the 60-day IL could also be so as.

Craig Counsell on Brandon Woodruff: pic.twitter.com/yg2ipI88pL

— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) April 15, 2023

The excellent news is that the staff doesn’t imagine, right now, that surgical procedure will probably be required. However in speaking concerning the harm, Woodruff didn’t sound like a participant who was notably optimistic a couple of fast return.

“If this was one thing that occurred midseason, All-Star break, proper earlier than or after that point, I’d most likely find yourself being accomplished, to be trustworthy, for the season.”

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“I’m not going to hurry this, I’m not going to come back again too early only for the sake of coming again early,” Woodruff stated. “That’s simply not going to do anyone any good. I’m going to take my time, I’m going to take heed to my physique and belief the rehab course of and simply undergo that, and hopefully come again at no matter level that’s all through the season after which attempt to end up robust.”

The subscapularis is one in every of 4 muscular tissues that make up the rotator cuff and is a stability muscle that’s key to protecting the shoulder from being dislocated. It’s one of many muscular tissues much less more likely to be injured, however the restoration time for pitchers has been vital. Corey Kluber missed three months in 2021, and Justin Dunn has been shut down for the reason that begin of spring coaching, although his case is sophisticated by the truth that his shoulder issues are extra longstanding. In a small examine of eight skilled gamers in Japan with related accidents, the 5 pitchers had a imply time of 81.5 days till return to play, with a significance variance among the many gamers that wasn’t based mostly on severity of the harm. Trying again on the gamers 21 months after their harm, not one of the eight suffered a recurrent harm to the muscle.

As famous above, Woodruff is on the 15-day IL for now, as he gained’t be examined by staff medical doctors again in Milwaukee, the place the Brewers will return this weekend, after which they count on to have a greater thought on how lengthy they are going to be with out him. Transferring him to the 60-day IL doesn’t restart the harm “clock,” so proper now, there’s no price to having him on the 15-day aside from not liberating up a 40-man roster spot for just a few days. That’s high quality as there’s no emergency addition to make, and it is smart to be conservative till you’re extra positive of the harm.

Nevertheless the harm shakes out, the Brewers will probably be out one in every of their aces for chunk of the season. The rotation was already lacking Aaron Ashby, who’s going to have arthroscopic surgical procedure on Friday and is more likely to miss most, if not all, of the remainder of 2023 in consequence. The excellent news is {that a} couple different issues have gone extra Milwaukee’s method, so the staff luckily isn’t determined for pitching. Freddy Peralta missed a complete of three months of the 2022 season with shoulder issues, however he seems to be wholesome now, throwing tougher than ever, and was stable in all three of his begins to date this season, all towards critical contenders. Adrian Houser is beginning a rehab stint, so he ought to return within the not-too-distant future.

Milwaukee taking note of its depth is wanting extraordinarily sensible proper now. Wade Miley was signed this winter to a one-year, $10 million contract with out even a particular spot in a rotation that was ideally Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, Peralta, Ashby, and Eric Lauer. The Brewers additionally prolonged a minor league contract to Colin Rea after a profitable season in Japan, a choice that already paid off in his begin towards the Padres. Beginning the season with Plans B, C, and D for the rotation on-hand (Houser was additionally on the surface wanting in), the staff insured itself towards unhealthy information about its pitchers, which is usually the kind of information related to pitching. Ethan Small and Janson Junk are also reasonable choices this yr.

On account of the staff’s depth, regardless of shedding a Cy Younger contender, our projections nonetheless have the Brewers because the fourth-ranked rotation in baseball. Even when Woodruff misses extra time, making the 116 projected depth chart innings a stretch, solely the fifth and sixth-ranked groups (Mets and Braves) would leapfrog them.

Assuming Woodruff misses three months, listed below are the present ZiPS projected standings for the NL Central.

These projections are extra bearish on the Brewers than our projected standings, however that merely displays the truth that ZiPS was one in every of, if not essentially the most, optimistic projection system earlier than the season when it got here to the Cardinals. Even with Ashby seemingly out of for the season and a number of lacking time for Woodruff, the groups’ relative begins have been sufficient to cut off almost half of the seven-game edge ZiPS gave the Playing cards in late March. ZiPS solely initiatives the Brewers to lose a single win, on common, with out Woodruff, an especially small quantity contemplating how a lot it favored him coming within the season; amongst beginning pitchers, his projected ERA+ of 139 was behind solely Shohei Ohtani (144) and Jacob deGrom (165).

Dropping a prime beginning pitcher for probably half a season isn’t excellent news, however the Brewers minimized the injury to the staff with good planning, and Woodruff’s harm doesn’t seem like the sort to have any long-term penalties to his profession. If the Cardinals hope to get a reprieve within the NL Central race, this gained’t present that, and the Brew Crew look to have one in every of rotations groups should be least completely satisfied to face in October.