Brandon Woodruff pitched the ninth inning of World Series Game 3 on Oct. 26, his first game for the Brewers since July 4.

Earlier this year he was expected to need season-ending shoulder surgery. An August scan showed surprising improvement, so he canceled it.

Woodruff, 33, went on the injured list twice in 2026 with right shoulder inflammation, first on May 1 and again on July 5.

His shoulder trouble goes back years. He had surgery on the joint in 2023, missed all of 2024 and returned to the majors in July 2025.

After the scan, he started a throwing program. On Oct. 20 he faced hitters in a simulated game and threw 23 pitches at 90 to 92 mph.

The move carried risk. If he got hurt again, MLB likely would not let the Brewers replace him, since his shoulder issue is preexisting.

"I didn't want this to be a charity pick," Woodruff told reporters, according to Yahoo Sports. He said he wanted to help win.

Milwaukee added him to the World Series roster on Oct. 23 in place of pitcher Chad Patrick.

He took the mound at Tropicana Field with a 10-0 lead and allowed one run before closing out the 10-1 win over Tampa Bay.

It was his first postseason appearance since the 2021 NLDS. He is the Brewers' longest-tenured player and a two-time All-Star.

Milwaukee leads the series 3-0. No team has ever come back from 3-0 down to win a World Series.

Read the full article for the complete timeline of Woodruff's injury and comeback.