Woodruff questionable for next start due to ankle injury
ST. LOUIS - There was lots more injury news for the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
But not all of it was bad.
To begin with, Brandon Woodruff reported to Busch Stadium in the morning with some soreness in his right ankle. Otherwise, he was moving freely and felt good, he said.
The right-hander was forced from the game heading into the fifth inning of the Brewers’ 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night with what was later described by manager Craig Counsell as irritation.
Woodruff was receiving treatment on the ankle but holding off from doing anything physically until Sunday, which is when he and the team should have a better read on the plan moving forward for him.
“His body’s a little sore to begin with from pitching, so I don’t think we’ll have anything before Chicago,” Counsell said. “We’ll give him until Chicago before we start figuring things out.
“I do think the next start is in question, and that’s what we’ve got to figure out.”
Woodruff’s next scheduled start would come Wednesday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, where Milwaukee will wrap up a three-city, 11-game road trip.
One player who definitely won’t see action in Chicago will be shortstop Willy Adames, who Counsell said was to depart St. Louis on Saturday night to begin a minor-league rehab assignment.
“Willy’s going to work out today here on the field and then he’s going to leave and play tomorrow in Carolina,” he said, referring to the Brewers Class A affiliate. “Then (Class AAA Nashville) is going to Durham on Monday, and he’ll join them.
“It’ll be a multi-game appearance. I don’t expect to see him in Chicago.”
Adames, on the injured list since May 16 with a high left ankle sprain, has been aggressively rehabbing and working out as the road trip has progressed.
“I’m in a place where I’m really close,” Adames said. “For now, I’m just following orders. We’re doing the best we can so I can be back as soon as I can. I’m going crazy. I’ve been fighting a lot with Counsell.
“I’m trying to force it a little bit more and push it harder. But at the end of the day, they’re being cautious and they want me to be the best that I can and be back (permanently).”
The Brewers did make a couple roster moves, placing right-hander Luis Perdomo on the IL with right elbow effusion and recalling Miguel Sánchez from Nashville.
Perdomo took over after Woodruff was injured Friday and pitched two scoreless innings. He’s 1-0 with a 1.74 earned run average in seven appearances (10 1/3 innings).
“He just had some swelling in his elbow after pitching last night,” Counsell said. “Everything else checked out good, so we’ll have to get that swelling out, which will probably take 3-5 days. Then, we’ll go from there and see what happens.”
Sánchez had been optioned to Nashville on Thursday after Josh Hader was reinstated from the family medical emergency list but never left the team with a Memorial Day doubleheader against the Cubs looming.
Welcome back
Mark Mathias was selected from Nashville on Tuesday in the wake of Hunter Renfroe going on the IL but hadn’t seen action in a game until Saturday, when he started in place of Kolten Wong at second base.
It’s been a long road back for the 27-year-old, who’d last played in the majors with the Brewers on Sept. 5, 2020.
He shown promise as a utility player, hitting .278 in 16 games before suffering a serious shoulder injury the following spring and subsequently undergoing season-ending surgery.
“I’ve just tried to stay ready this whole week,” Mathias said. “Every rep in that rehab room was worth it. I had surgery May 4 of last year, so we’re at a year and a couple weeks now.
“It’s all worth it, man, at the end of the day, being back in a major-league clubhouse.
“It’s exhilarating, it’s rewarding and I’m grateful. This was my second labrum surgery, and not a lot of guys come back from that.
“I’m thankful, for sure.”
Counsell pointed out that Mathias earned his way back to the majors, both by getting through the arduous rehab process and then by hitting .336 with four home runs and 16 runs batted in with an OPS of .974 in 27 games with Nashville.
“He’s quietly kind of gone off at Triple-A. He’s been incredible,” Counsell said. “He’s played really, really well. Really, he’s hit like he’s never hit before in the minor leagues. And that’s just a credit to him.
“Mark just a hard worker. You can’t get him to not work hard. That’s just what he’s going to do every day. It’s what he did in his rehab, and why he’s put himself in this position.”