All week, the biggest question facing the Milwaukee Brewers was whether or not Brandon Woodruff was going to make the World Series roster, and he officially has.
He has not pitched in a game since July 4, when his fastball velocity was way down. He was placed on the injured list with a shoulder injury, presumed to need season-ending shoulder surgery. However, he somehow avoided surgery and started working to get back.
This week, he faced hitters for the first time, and his velocity was right where he expected it to be, and all indications are that he threw the ball well.
The Brewers clearly saw enough to put their longest-tenured player on the World Series roster, in place of Chad Patrick. Patrick was on the National League Division Series roster and the National League Championship Series roster, but did not pitch.
Woodruff has a ton of experience in big games, but he has not pitched in a postseason game since 2021. This season, he had a 2.98 ERA in nine starts, despite pitching through an injury. When he's on the mound, he's great, but it's unclear what role he will be deployed in.