Brewers find a new injury to Brandon Woodruff's troublesome shoulder and plan a second opinion

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff was diagnosed on Wednesday with a new injury to his troublesome right shoulder after exiting early from his most recent start and returning to the injured list.

The team said an MRI exam revealed a new injury to his anterior capsule, which was surgically repaired after the 2023 season. The Brewers planned to send Woodruff to surgeon Dr. Keith Meister for a second opinion after initially diagnosing him with inflammation. The 33-year-old experienced a drop in velocity on Saturday at Arizona and was removed during the fourth inning of his third start since coming off the injured list, where he'd spent nearly two months after minor surgery to remove a cyst.

Woodruff, who has a 2.98 ERA in nine starts this season, didn’t pitch at all in 2024. He returned midway through last season and fared well, before a lat muscle strain kept him from pitching in the playoffs.

“It’s hard, but he’s trying to be strong, and he’s trying to look for the positive in all of it," Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters in St. Louis before the game. "He was so good when he was pitching. He makes the whole room relax.”

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