Brandon Woodruff

The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Friday that veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) is on the roster for the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, which starts Friday night in Milwaukee. Woodruff has not pitched in a game since July 4 due to ongoing issues with his right shoulder, so it is a bit of a surprise that he was included for the Fall Classic against Tampa. He must have convinced the coaching staff during his simulated game on Tuesday. The 33-year-old former two-time All-Star saw a sharp drop in velocity earlier this year, and at one point it looked like he was on the verge of undergoing season-ending surgery. However, Woodruff turned a corner and began ramping back up for a potential late-season return. He went 2-2 during his nine regular-season starts while posting a 2.98 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 47 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings, so he was not bad at all despite dealing with a drop in velocity. It is a cool story to see Woodruff included on the roster for the organization's second trip to the World Series (first since 1982), but because of his long layoff and injury concerns, he will probably only be available out of Milwaukee's bullpen in lower-leverage spots during the Fall Classic.