SPORTS LINE
The Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brewers officially placed Woodruff on the 15-day IL, with a designation of right shoulder inflammation. Left-hander Drew Rom was called up from Triple-A to take Woodruff’s spot on the 26-man roster. Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff left with an injury in the fourth inning of his team’s 4-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night. Accompanied by a trainer, Woodruff, 33, departed after striking out Adrian Del Castillo on a 3-2 pitch. His highest velocity pitch in the fourth inning was 87 mph. He gave up two hits, three runs and a walk in 3⅔ innings, striking out six.
The right-hander was making his third start since returning from the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Woodruff said after the game that it was similar to his earlier shoulder issue and that it wasn’t a good idea to prolong his outing. Woodruff will undergo tests to determine the exact nature of the shoulder discomfort, but the initial diagnosis is “it’s kind of the same thing he had before,” Murphy said. Woodruff underwent surgery on that torn labrum back in September 2023, and that rehab process and a couple of minor setbacks kept Woodruff off a big-league mound until July 2025. He then tossed 64 2/3 innings of 3.20 ERA ball over 12 starts before a lat strain sidelined the righty just before the start of the postseason. After accepting a one-year, $22.025MM qualifying offer to return to the Brewers, Woodruff has again dealt with injuries in a prior IL stint this season.
Deemed just as shoulder inflammation or “dead arm” at the time, Woodruff underwent a minor surgical procedure in early May to drain some fluid and eliminate a cyst that was causing the inflammation outside his right shoulder joint. Woodruff (2-2) hadn’t allowed a run in his previous two starts since returning to the Milwaukee rotation. His season ERA is 2.98. The fact that Woodruff has remained a very effective starter surely adds to the frustration for both the player and the team. Even after allowing three runs in yesterday’s injury-shortened outing, Woodruff still has a 2.98 ERA, 27% strikeout rate, and a 5.7% walk rate over 45 1/3 innings this season. His 3.64 SIERA reflects Woodruff’s fortunate .207 BABIP, yet it’s clear Woodruff still has plenty left in the tank at age 33, just as long as he is healthy enough to take the mound.
The Milwaukee Bucks.
Kam Jones is heading to Milwaukee via a two-way deal only a year removed from being a second-round pick in the NBA Draft. Jones gives the Bucks yet another guard to sort through as they put together this roster after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. In addition to Jones, the Bucks now employ Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Harris, AJ Green, Brayden Burries, and Kasparas Jakucionis. That’s a lot of talent and not enough minutes for all of these players to see time. As a two-way prospect, no one should expect Jones to play over any of these players, but, interestingly, Milwaukee added another guard despite the depth.
The Summer League tipped off for the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, where they would defeat the Golden State Warriors Blue, 97-83, in the California Classic. The most recent first-round picks, Nate Ament and Brandon Burries, did not play. The Bucks started their Summer League run 1-0 after a game where they shot 52.8% from the field, with 11 of the 12 players who appeared in the game scoring. It was the first chance to see the young talent in Milwaukee’s organization fighting for an opportunity.
Bogoljub Markovic made his second appearance for the Bucks in the Summer League after he appeared in it last year. Unlike last year, Markovic got off to a hot start. Getting the start, Markovic finished the game with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, while shooting 66.7% (7-for-11) from the field against Golden State. As well as Markovic played, the player who led the team in scoring for Milwaukee was Brandon Boston. Boston finished the game with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 60% (6-for-9) from the field and 50% (1-for-2) from the 3-point line. One of Boston’s best attributes as a player is his shot-creating ability, and it was on full display against the Warriors. He was aggressive using his handles to get past defenders and finish around the rim, but could also score from beyond the arch hitting a step-back 3-pointer.
This was Boston’s first game for the Bucks organization, and he also left a good first impression. Lewis got the start for the Bucks, and in 23 minutes was extremely productive, finishing with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 66.7% from the field and 50% from the 3-point line with the second-highest plus-minus on the team. He used his speed to get around defenders and attack the basket, found his open teammates, and applied intense defensive pressure. The former lottery pick is only 25 years old, and while the Bucks guard room continues to grow, Lewis is trying to earn a spot.
