According to Brandon Woodruff, his recovery from shoulder surgery will prevent him from pitching during the 2024 season. This news was shared with Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Woodruff, a right-hander for the Brewers, was already expected to miss a majority of the year for rehabilitation purposes. This was evident in the Brewers’ decision to not tender Woodruff and in the structure of his two-year, .5 million contract when he re-signed with the team last month. In 2024, Woodruff will be paid .5 million and in 2025, he will receive a salary of million. Additionally, there is a buyout of million for a mutual option of million for the 2026 season.
In the beginning stages, the rehabilitation process appears to be progressing smoothly and Woodruff has begun to gently throw from distances up to 30 feet. The two-time All-Star is certain that he will regain his former abilities when he gets back to pitching in 2025, and believes his understanding of pitching will help him overcome any decrease in throwing speed.
Christian Arroyo was moved to the minor league camp of the Brewers this week, leading to a decision for the player whether to opt out or stay with the team who did not include him in their starting lineup. According to Murphy, Arroyo is unlikely to opt out and he also has a wrist injury.
This problem may hinder Arroyo’s likelihood of quickly gaining a spot on another team in free agency, especially considering his disappointing .182/.217/.227 slash line in 23 plate appearances this spring. Arroyo may need to spend some time at Triple-A to recover and then decide what his next steps will be, or he may wait to see if an opportunity arises with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers have several inexperienced options for second base, third base, and utility infield roles (Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz, Sal Frelick, Andruw Monasterio), and Frelick is also adjusting to playing an infield position for the first time. Arroyo could potentially serve as a veteran option if any of the younger players struggle or need more time in the minor leagues.
“I believe that at this point in my career, I will be the strongest I have ever been because I will have a full year to prepare my body for pitching. During this time, I plan to gain a better understanding of my body and how it works. Although I am currently recovering from a new shoulder injury, I still expect to perform at the same level. And even if something else were to happen, I am confident that I will still be able to go out and pitch successfully.”
Milwaukee acquired Clarke in a December trade with the Royals, hoping that Clarke could bounce back from a rough 2023 campaign. The righty posted a 5.95 ERA in 59 innings for Kansas City, as big spikes in Clarke’s barrel and home run rates resulted in 12 homers out of the park over those 59 frames. His 24.4% strikeout rate was slightly above average, but his walk rate increased sharply to nine percent, after Clarke had posted a very impressive 3.9 BB% in 2022.
“I am choosing to continue to believe in myself rather than relying on others. Money is not the main factor, my goal is to succeed. I am content staying here,” stated Woodruff. “I have a strong relationship with the medical team and they are familiar with my shoulder. Being able to return here feels like the right choice. I took into consideration a lot of factors, but ultimately I have the ability to have some control over my rehabilitation process. It’s important to me to have consistency and not have to adjust to a new team during this time.”
Despite being injured, it was rumored that multiple teams were interested in trading for Woodruff before Milwaukee decided not to offer him a contract. Additionally, teams inquired about signing him after he became a free agent. Ultimately, Woodruff decided to rejoin the Brewers because of the trust and familiarity he has built during his entire career with the organization.
The Brewers are likely anticipating that Clarke will perform similarly to his 2022 self (when he had a 4.04 ERA in 49 innings for K.C.), but at the moment, their main goal is to get him back in good health and back on the field. Injuries related to the meniscus can take varying amounts of time to recover from, depending on the severity of the injury and whether or not surgery is necessary. If surgery is required, a 4-6 week absence is probably the most optimistic outcome for a meniscus surgery.
Pitcher Taylor Clarke sustained an injury to his right meniscus and will seek a second opinion to determine if surgery can be avoided, according to Brewers manager Pat Murphy in an interview with MLB.com and other outlets. Clarke will likely begin the season on the 15-day injured list, with the goal of avoiding a more lengthy recovery period.
