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PHOENIX – One of the two starters with at least a year of big-league service time on the Milwaukee Brewers is trending positively toward opening day. The same can’t quite be said of the other.
Brandon Woodruff, fully recovered from his right lat strain last September, is on track to begin the season in the rotation, the team announced March 3, though he has to clear a few hurdles before March 26 against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field.
The 33-year-old right-hander is set to make his Cactus League debut March 7 after throwing a two-inning live batting practice six days prior.
Woodruff previously deemed his status for opening day “up in the air” as he ramps up in his first fully healthy spring since 2023, and manager Pat Murphy remained noncommittal about the certainty of Woodruff on the opening day roster .
“[It will be] based on the build-up,” Murphy said.
But Woodruff going three innings later this week would set him up to make two more outings in Arizona, meaning he would reach five innings before the team breaks camp.
Murphy added that Woodruff will not be on a mandated five days of rest schedule at all this year. The April schedule allows for the Brewers to get most of their starters an extra day of rest before each turn, but with Woodruff serving as the lone veteran on the staff and receiving a $22.03 million salary, carrying six starters simply isn’t an option for Milwaukee.
“You can’t have a pitcher in his situation on a six-day rotation. It’s just too hard,” Murphy said. “Some of it comes up naturally…and that’s a good thing for all pitchers. He’s not injured. He’s healthy.”
Quinn Priester injury update
The latest update on Quinn Priester, the second-most senior member of the Brewers rotation in terms of service time with all of one year and 134 days, seems destined for the injured list to begin the season.
Priester is ramping up his throwing program after a slow off-season buildup due to a wrist issue he and the Brewers managed at the end of last season.
“I think you can start to feel that,” Murphy said.
The hope is for a late March or early April return – though if he begins the year on the IL he would have to remain there for at least 15 days.
The 25-year-old right-hander made 29 appearances and 24 starts for Milwaukee a year ago, pitching to a 3.32 earned run average during his breakout campaign. The team announced he was dealing with a wrist issue at the conclusion of the season, but when his pitch metrics didn’t quite look right early in spring training they made the decision to slow him down.
“He did some [live at-bats] before he got here,” Murphy said. “We’re just monitoring everything and wanted to make sure that his buildup is without any issues.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Injury updates for Brewers starters Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester