MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff will be ready to start the season on time, a welcome development for a Brewers rotation lacking experience.
The Brewers announced Monday that the two-time All-Star right-hander would start their fifth game of the season, March 31 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Woodruff had spent spring training working his way back after missing the postseason with a lat strain, raising the possibility he might open the year with at least a brief stint on the injured list.
“I felt like personally I was in a good spot,” Woodruff said before the Brewers’ Monday night exhibition game with the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field. “I was recovering. My pitch count is probably obviously a little less than some of the guys coming out of camp, but I felt like I was recovering. I felt like the stuff was there and coming along. I didn’t feel like I necessarily wanted to go pitch in minor league games, pretty much is the way I felt about it.”
Woodruff’s availability boosts a rotation that will open the season without Quinn Priester, who had a breakthrough season last year with a 13-3 record and 3.32 ERA. Brewers manager Pat Murphy said, “I think you’ll see (Priester) in early May if all goes well” as the right-hander deals with a nerve issue.
Priester had been dealing with an apparent wrist problem for much of the preseason and eventually received a diagnosis indicating it was at least partially related to thoracic outlet syndrome.
That leaves Milwaukee opening with a rotation that’s long on talent but short on veterans beyond the 33-year-old Woodruff, who is back with the Brewers after accepting their $22.025 million qualifying offer during the offseason.
Flame-throwing right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who made 15 appearances as a rookie last season, will start the season opener Thursday against the Chicago White Sox. Right-handers Chad Patrick and Brandon Sproat will start the final two games of the White Sox series, while lefty Kyle Harrison starts Monday’s series opener with the Rays.
This will be the fifth career start for the 25-year-old Sproat, one of the players acquired in the trade that sent two-time All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets. Patrick, 27, went 3-8 with a 3.53 ERA in 27 appearances as a rookie last season. Harrison, who came to Milwaukee in the deal that sent third baseman Caleb Durbin to Boston, has made 42 appearances but is only 23 years old.
That makes the Brewers particularly grateful to have Woodruff’s veteran presence available for the start of the season as they begin their pursuit of a fourth straight NL Central title.
“I think it’s an encouraging sign, right?” Murphy said. “We weren’t thinking that he was going to be on the team early, but the way it was going, it went so well in terms of he feels great, and he feels like he’s ready. And you’ve got to trust the player.”
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FILE - Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sept. 6, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.
Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.
Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.
“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”
Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.
Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.
“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”
The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.
Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.
With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.
Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.
The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.
“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."
The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.
Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.
“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”
This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.
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Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, front, works for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, rear, defends in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James stands on the court in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers' Deandre Ayton (5) and LeBron James, rear, in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) works to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
