Expectations mount for Brandon Woodruff to anchor a young Brewers' staff

The Milwaukee Brewers have gotten off to a great start so far this season. They took on the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day and had zero problems pushing runs across the board. 

They outhit their opponents 12-4 while Jacob Misiorowski did exactly what he needed to do. He went five strong innings, giving up one run on two hits while striking out 11. 

They will have a day off on Friday before they get back to it. Chad Patrick will likely get the start Saturday, and Brandon Sproat is likely to get the ball on Sunday. 

MORE: Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski matches MLB history made most recently by Felix Hernandez in 2007

Expectations mount for Brandon Woodruff to anchor a young Brewers' staff

Some fans may be wondering when Brandon Woodruff will make his first start of the season. But the club has decided to give him a little bit more time to get ready for the season. 

Last September, he was dealing with a right lat strain, which caused him to push his throwing program back a bit this winter.

He is expected to get the start on Tuesday, March 31st, against the Tampa Bay Rays. 

With the loss of Freddy Peralta, Woodruff must perform well this year. Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly puts immense pressure on Woodruff to look the part in 2026. 

"Two-time defending NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy has shown the ability to get more out of his team than expected, and, in theory, he has a pretty strong lineup and bullpen entering 2026. The rotation is where the questions exist, most notably with Woodruff."

Woodruff will have to stay healthy, and it would really help if he could get back to making 25+ starts a year. But the last time he was able to do that was during the 2022 season, so that might be quite the task for the eight-year vet.

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