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Brandon Woodruff of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Milwaukee Brewers have undergone plenty of change in every off-season over the past few years, but somehow, no matter how many stars depart, this is a team that seemingly dominates every single regular season.

That is clearly no different thus far in 2026, as the team are once again on top of the National League Central standings with a record of 46-29 through their first 75 games played. They’ve done so while battling injuries as well, and despite four of the five teams in the division sitting at or above .500 thus far, the Brewers appear poised for another NL Central crown in 2026.

Unfortunately, the injuries have held them back even if they have continued to dominate, but with the summer heating up and the NL Central race being tighter than ever, they got some great news on Monday.

Brandon Woodruff set to Make his Return for the Brewers

GettyBrandon Woodruff of the Milwaukee Brewers.

One of those injuries suffered by the Brewers was to starter Brandon Woodruff, with the 33-year-old last appearing in a big league game back on April 30th. In six starts before the injury, Woodruff posted a record of 2-1 with an ERA of 3.60, but ahead of their series opening game against the Cincinnati Reds, the team have announced Woodruff’s return to the mound.

This should come as a major relief to the Brewers, as the team now have a genuine third star in their rotation behind emerging superstar Jacob Misirowksi and Kyle Harrison, who was one of the most underrated pickups in all of baseball by Milwaukee this past winter.

Brandon Woodruff is key to the Brewers Success in 2026

While Woodruff is no longer the pitcher that posted a 2.56 ERA in 30 starts back in his All-Star season of 2021, he’s still capable of eating significant innings for this team, and when the post-season arrives, he’ll be crucial behind the two young, emerging stars this team has. Since Woodruff has been out, those starters have helped maintain the success that the Brewers began 2026 with, but with the 33-year-old now officially active, the team pose a major threat to every team vying for the World Series in the National League.

Throughout his career, Woodruff has been very loyal to the Milwaukee Brewers, with 148 starts across his career with the organization seeing him post a record of 55-29 with a 3.12 ERA and 896 strikeouts across 775.0 innings of work. As mentioned, he’s taken a step back in previous years, but in that career, he’s also been named an All-Star on two separate occasions, and with nine seasons of experience with the team, he is as valuable as any pitcher has been to the Brewers for the past decade.

Only time will tell if Woodruff can turn back the clock and help this Brewers team get back into the MLB Playoffs again in 2026, but given the depth that this rotation now has as a result of his return, it’s easy to see why Brewers fans are so excited about their potential this season.