Brewers add pitcher Brandon Woodruff to World Series roster after apparent season-ending injury in July

Somehow, Brandon Woodruff has returned for the 2026 MLB postseason.

Actually, it's no mystery as to why the Milwaukee Brewers' right-hander could pitch during the next week after going on the injured list in July and eventually avoiding what appeared to be imminent shoulder surgery six weeks later.

The Brewers made it to the World Series, extending their season into the final week of October. That gave Woodruff nine weeks to rehabilitate and recover from right shoulder inflammation which did not require another procedure to repair his anterior capsule.

Woodruff, 33, was added to Milwaukee's World Series roster on Friday morning before Game 1 versus the Tampa Bay Rays. He will replace pitcher Chad Patrick on the 26-man squad.

"I didn't want this to be a charity pick," Woodruff told reporters on Friday. "That was important to me. I wanted to be on the roster because I feel like I could help win, so I did not want [sentimentality] to be part of this decision. I was very straightforward about that."

Putting Woodruff on the World Series roster comes with some risk. If Woodruff gets injured, the Brewers likely will not be allowed to replace him. MLB rules state that a player on a postseason roster can only be replaced if he suffers a non-chronic injury or ailment.

That certainly doesn't apply to Woodruff, who has struggled with shoulder issues through the past four seasons. He underwent surgery to repair his anterior capsule in 2023, making just 11 starts. As a result, he missed the entire 2024 season and didn't return until July 2025.

This season, Woodruff went the injured list twice with right shoulder inflammation, first on May 1 then on July 5. Each IL stint occurred after Woodruff showed lowered velocity in his previous start. He made nine starts for Milwaukee, compiling a 2.98 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings.

However, Woodruff has played with the Brewers for nine seasons (10, if you count the season he missed in 2024), giving him the longest tenure on the team. He's been in the organization since 2014, when he was Milwaukee's 11th-round draft pick out of Mississippi State.

Woodruff threw a simulated game against live hitters on Tuesday. That was apparently enough for all involved to give him the green light. If he can pitch in the franchise's first World Series appearance in 44 years, the team wants the veteran to have that opportunity.

Rays adding left-hander Garrett Cleavinger to World Series roster

The Rays also made a change to their World Series roster, adding pitcher Garrett Cleavinger to their 26-player lineup. Cleavinger, 32, registered a 4.79 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings, making 51 appearances.

The left-hander ended the regular season on the IL with forearm tightness, but was activated for the ALDS versus the New York Yankees. However, he was not on Tampa Bay’s ALCS roster against the Cleveland Guardians, swapped out for rookie Brody Hopkins. The two have once again switched roster spots for the World Series.