Another day, another former Bulldog in the MLB spotlight. Tonight, ex-Mississippi State standout Brandon Woodruff will return from nearly two months on the injured list to start for Milwaukee against San Diego at Miller Park. On Monday, Dakota Hudson pitched seven strong innings for St. Louis in a big victory – his 16th — against Washington. Woodruff and the Brewers are chasing the first-place Cardinals in the National League Central and the Nationals in the wild card race. Milwaukee has won 13 of its last 16, keeping its surge alive despite the loss of MVP candidate Christian Yelich. The Brewers hope to get a lift from Woodruff, who is 11-3 with a 3.75 ERA and made the All-Star Game back in July. The 26-year-old right-hander last pitched on July 21, when he suffered an oblique strain. He told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel it was a long, slow process getting back to form. “We’re playing some good baseball right now,” he said. “I want to be part of it and I want to contribute any way I can.” Woodruff reportedly threw no more than 45 pitches in his tuneup sessions, so three innings might be all the Brewers can expect from him tonight. P.S. Gulfport native Bobby Bradley and the Columbus Clippers take on the Sacramento River Cats in tonight’s Triple-A National Championship Game at Memphis’ AutoZone Park. FS1 will televise the game at 7 p.m. Bradley, an International League All-Star, hit .264 with 33 homers for the Clippers and also did a 15-game stint with Cleveland. Sacramento is a San Francisco affiliate.
About The Author
Mike Christensen
Freelance writer Mike Christensen was a newspaper sportswriter for 30 years, including 26 at the Daily News and The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, and is author of the book "Of Mudcat, Boo, The Rope and Oil Can." He covered small college and minor league baseball, including the Jackson Mets, Generals, DiamondKats, Senators and Mississippi Braves, among other duties in his newspaper days. A former youth league second baseman, he is a longtime Atlanta Braves fan and collector of baseball books and cards.