The Milwaukee Brewers are preparing for the World Series, and one big decision they need to make is whether or not to place Brandon Woodruff on the World Series roster.
Woodruff is the longest-tenured Brewer, but he has been dealing with a shoulder injury. He has missed most of the season, but looks good when he has pitched. Game 1 of the Fall Classic is on Friday, and Woodruff faced batters for the first time on Tuesday. Not only is he not built up, but if he gets hurt again, the Brewers may not be able to replace him on the roster.
The rules state that a player can only be replaced on a postseason roster if he suffers an acute, non-chronic injury or ailment. According to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, the Brewers are still trying to figure out if Woodruff hurting his shoulder again would fit that criteria.
“Still working through our meetings," Brewers president of baseball operations and general manager said, per McCalvy.
Woodruff sat between 90 and 92 mph with his fastball during a session when he faced Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, Christian Yelich, William Contreras and Jake Bauers. He said his velocity was about where he expected it to be in an empty stadium.
He is confident he can help the team and perform if given the chance, but he understands that the team is trying to win, and if leaving him off the roster is the best move, then he is at peace with it.
“I know where I’m at. I’ve only faced live hitters once and the World Series starts in three days,” Woodruff told McCalvy. “As far as a decision, I haven’t heard anything. I’m sure they are discussing it.”
Ultimately, it may be in the Brewers' best interest to take Woodruff. It hasn't hurt them yet, but much of the Brewers' roster is young and lacks postseason experience. Woodruff has been on this stage a ton and has even pitched in elimination games. As for who he replaces, he could easily take the spot of Kyle Harrison or Chad Patrick, neither of whom has pitched in the postseason yet.
Harrison looked like he would be key to getting the Brewers to the World Series early in the year, even pushing for an All-Star nod. However, a forearm injury derailed his season and he lost his spot in the rotation. He does not really have the trust of his manager right now, and as far as lefties go, the Brewers have shown that they would rather DL Hall, Aaron Ashby and JoJo Romero work more than give Harrison a shot.
The Brewers are going to throw a bullpen game in Game 4 of the World Series. Having Woodruff available for that could be huge, even if it's just for an inning. Additionally, it gives Pat Murphy another right-handed option in the middle innings besides Patrick or Antonio Senzatela. If Harrison is going to sit on the bench anyway, why not give Woodruff a shot if he can get outs like he did when he was healthy this year?