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There’s some news on Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff, who has been on the injured list since May 30. Unfortunately, the news isn’t all positive.
Brandon Woodruff injury update
Woodruff departed his May 27 start against the Cardinals with what was initially called right ankle discomfort. That was upgraded to a high right ankle sprain after a few days, which led to Woodruff’s IL placement.
He threw on flat ground last week and came away encouraged. He then threw off of a mound Thursday for the first time since sustaining the sprain. Again, that seemed like a positive step.
But Woodruff’s comeback date is now up in the air as he is dealing with poor circulation in his right hand.
Mixed news postgame on Brandon Woodruff. He did throw off the mound for the first time since spraining his ankle in St. Louis, which is a good step. But his progress has been slowed, Craig Counsell said, by Raynaud's syndrome, a circulation issue in his right fingers.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) June 9, 2022
I’m no doctor, but that doesn’t seem great, especially for a right-handed pitcher. Safe to say at the moment that there is no timetable for when Woodruff will next pitch in the Majors. He will likely go on a minor-league rehab assignment before then.
Woodruff’s absence — as well as a shoulder injury to RHP Freddy Peralta — has opened the door for rookie Aaron Ashby to really establish himself. The left-hander, who was a top-10 prospect in Milwaukee’s system last year, has been fantastic in his past three outings:
May 25 vs. Padres: 5.2 innings, four hits, one run (unearned), three walks, five strikeouts
May 30 vs. Cubs: Six innings, five hits, one run, two walks, 12 strikeouts
June 4 vs. Padres: Six innings, six hits, four runs, zero walks, nine strikeouts
Ashby, who is available in about 60 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues, has a really tasty matchup on tap against the toothless Nationals on Friday. Go get him.