Brewers' Season Hinges on Brandon Woodruff's Consistent Health

The Milwaukee Brewers are relying on their ace to stay healthy after trading away other top pitchers this offseason.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Milwaukee Brewers made some surprising offseason moves, trading away pitchers Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin. With those trades, the team is now heavily reliant on the consistent health and performance of ace Brandon Woodruff, who has dealt with injuries in recent seasons. The Brewers don't have much proven pitching talent beyond Woodruff, so his ability to stay on the mound will be crucial to the team's success in 2026.

Why it matters

The Brewers' offseason moves have left them with a thin starting rotation, making Woodruff's health and performance even more vital to the team's playoff hopes. If Woodruff struggles with injuries again, the Brewers could find themselves in trouble, as they don't have many other reliable options to turn to.

The details

The Brewers traded away Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets and Caleb Durbin to the Boston Red Sox, leaving them with a rotation led by Woodruff. While the trades brought in talented prospects, it also increased the team's reliance on the 33-year-old Woodruff, who dealt with a lat strain last season that limited him to just 23 starts over the past three years.

  • Woodruff finished the 2025 season with injury concerns.
  • The Brewers made the trades to Peralta and Durbin this offseason.

The players

Brandon Woodruff

The Milwaukee Brewers' ace pitcher, who has dealt with injuries in recent seasons but is crucial to the team's success in 2026.

Freddy Peralta

A pitcher the Brewers traded to the New York Mets this offseason, leaving them with a thin starting rotation.

Caleb Durbin

A pitcher the Brewers traded to the Boston Red Sox this offseason, further depleting their starting pitching depth.

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What they’re saying

“William Contreras' recovery from finger surgery is also worth monitoring, but he was just fine when it was broken. And besides, the Brewers aren't on the hook to pay him $32 million this year, as they are with Woodruff.”

— Zachary Rymer, Bleacher Report Writer (Bleacher Report)

“It's a lot of money for a pitcher who has just 23 starts to show for the last three years. The lat strain he suffered last year should be in the past, but you can never take anything for granted with 33-year-olds with injury histories like his.”

— Zachary Rymer, Bleacher Report Writer (Bleacher Report)

What’s next

The Brewers will be closely monitoring Woodruff's health and recovery throughout spring training and the start of the 2026 season.

The takeaway

The Brewers have taken a risk by trading away some of their top pitching talent, putting the onus on Brandon Woodruff to stay healthy and perform at a high level. If Woodruff struggles with injuries again, the Brewers could find themselves in trouble, as they don't have many other reliable options to turn to in the rotation.