The Milwaukee Brewers placed starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff on the 15-day injured list on Sunday because of right shoulder inflammation after his exit in the fourth inning from a loss Saturday night to the host Arizona Diamondbacks.
In a corresponding move, the Brewers recalled left-hander Drew Rom from Triple-A Nashville.
Woodruff allowed three runs on two hits and one walk with six strikeouts in facing 14 batters in 3 2/3 innings while taking the loss in the 4-3 setback in Phoenix. He was making his third start since returning from surgery to address a cyst in his shoulder joint, which caused him to spend nearly two months on the IL.
The 33-year-old said he felt similar discomfort in his shoulder since the second inning. His velocity dropped from 92.5 mph in the first inning to 86.6 on his fastball in the fourth, and 82.9 mph in the first to 76.6 on his changeup.
“It gets frustrating having to go through this stuff, but I’m in a good spot mentally with it,” Woodruff said. “I know what’s before me. I know what I’m dealing with, so if I can avoid some things, it just becomes, ‘Get back on the field and pitch and help them win.'”
Woodruff exited the game after a visit from Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy, athletic trainer Brad Epstein and pitching coach Chris Hook.
“It’s really unfortunate. He’s a huge part of our organization, a huge part of our team this year and was a huge part of the team last year,” Murphy said. “He just has an unbelievable presence and does whatever he can to help people. And he’s a great pitcher.”
Woodruff is 2-2 with a 2.98 ERA, 10 walks and 47 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings over nine starts this season.
He missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing right shoulder surgery to repair his anterior capsule.
The two-time All-Star (2019, 2021) has a career 55-30 record and 3.10 ERA over 151 appearances (136 starts) across nine seasons for the Brewers since 2017.
Milwaukee selected Woodruff in the 11th round of the 2014 MLB Draft.
Rom, 26, is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA, four walks and 11 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings over five relief appearances this season for Milwaukee. He was 3-1 with one save, a 2.51 ERA, 10 walks and 47 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings over 25 relief appearances at Nashville this season.
He also pitched in 2023 for the St. Louis Cardinals and was 1-4 with an 8.02 ERA in 33 2/3 innings over eight games (all starts).
