Woodruff's Velocity Drop: Brewers' Concerns

0:00It's April 30th. This is Milwaukee Brewer's news today, AI-powered stories from Inside Your Team. Brewer's pitcher, Brandon Woodruff, had to leave his start against the Arizona Diamond Backs in the second inning on Thursday. His fastball velocity tanked hard, averaging just 85.4 mph before he got pulled, way down from his season average of, 92.5. Earlier this week, he was cruising at solid speeds, but this dropped to under 87 mph, raised red flags right away. The team wasted no time yanking him after one and a third scoreless innings to avoid any risks. Manager Pat Murphy said, Woodruff just didn't feel right, no pain, but no pop either. They've seen minor dips before, but nothing this bad, and with how key he is to the rotation, they shut it down quick to protect his long-term health. Woodruff's 33 now. Coming off shoulder surgery that wiped out all of 2024 and limited him to 12 starts this year. The Milwaukee traded Freddie Peralta, so they tendered him a big qualifying offer, betting

1:01on his bounce back, where he's posted a 3.77, ERA, over 5 outings. His ERA dipped at 3.60 after this one, but the real story is monitoring that velocity. Fingers crossed, he shakes it off for the next turn. The brewers need him locked in to keep pushing forward.