Brandon Woodruff’s long and winding road back to the big leagues ends today when the former Wheeler High and Mississippi State standout goes to the mound for Milwaukee at Miami’s loanDepot Park. It has been 683 days — since September of 2023 — since the two-time All-Star pitched for the Brewers. He has endured a shoulder injury, then surgery and various other setbacks along the way. “I know if I can (stay heathy), I will figure out how to get guys out at a high level again,” he said in a recent mlb.com story. “It’s just a matter of consistency, and that’s it. But getting here and knowing that I’m going to pitch again in the major leagues is exciting.” Woodruff, 32, is 46-26 with a 3.10 ERA in his MLB career, dating to 2017, all that time with the Brewers. The team is chasing the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central, currently sitting 4 games back in second place. Woodruff’s return could be a big lift. He made 10 rehab appearances in the minors, posting 2.79 ERA in 42 innings. He’ll face a Miami team that is 40-47 but has won eight of 10. It’ll be a big test. P.S. In other pitching news: Former Ole Miss star Drew Pomeranz, now with the Cubs, was charged with two earned runs against St. Louis on Saturday, ending a streak of 26 appearances without yielding one. His ERA is now 0.76. … UM product Doug Nikhazy was sent back to Triple-A by Cleveland without making an appearance. He has been up three times, pitching in one game. … At Triple-A Rochester (Washington system), Mississippi State alum Konnor Pilkington registered his second save, getting the last five outs in an 8-5 win Saturday against Buffalo. Pilkington has a 2.84 ERA and a 3-3 record in 32 appearances for the Red Wings. … Houston Roth, ex-Ole Miss standout, tossed a scoreless inning for Triple-A Norfolk (Baltimore) and trimmed his ERA to 1.93 over 11 games. … Hurston Waldrep, a Southern Miss alum, allowed three unearned runs — two on a home run — in five innings of work for Triple-A Gwinnett (Atlanta) and took a loss to fall to 6-7, 5.25. Waldrep has yet to have a scoreless outing in 16 appearances for the Stripers. … At Double-A Biloxi (Milwaukee), ex-MSU star Tyson Hardin threw 5 2/3 innings (no decision) against Pensacola, allowing two runs and fanning six. He has a 1.99 ERA in four starts for the Shuckers. … MSU product Khal Stephen — the Northwest League’s pitcher of the month for June — worked six shutout innings for Vancouver (Toronto), notching his fifth win and lowering his ERA to 1.49 for the High-Class A club. Stephen beat former Bulldogs teammate Jurrangelo Cijntje, who fell to 4-5, 4.95, for Everett (Seattle). … Brooks Auger, another ex-MSU standout, got a four-inning save for High-A Great Lakes (Los Angeles Dodgers); he has a 5.87 ERA over 12 games.
