Brewers Bullpen Depth Takes Another Hit as Zerpa Heads for Tommy John, Woodruff Future Murky

Angel Zerpa is done for 2025. The Brewers confirmed Tuesday that their left-handed reliever will undergo Tommy John surgery Monday in the Dallas area, performed by Dr. Keith Meister, ending what was already a difficult debut season in Milwaukee. Zerpa, acquired from Kansas City last December, posted a 6.39 ERA across 12 appearances — surrendering nine earned runs in 12 2/3 innings and allowing runs to score in seven of his first nine outings in April. The procedure ends a short and troubled chapter, with recovery projected to extend into next spring or summer.

The Zerpa news doesn't exist in a vacuum — it's the latest domino in a Brewers pitching staff that is visibly fraying. Brandon Woodruff traveled to Dallas Tuesday for a hands-on evaluation with the same Dr. Meister who performed his 2023 shoulder surgery, after Woodruff's velocity sat in the mid-80s in his most recent start before landing on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation. That's a troubling combination of context: prior surgery, velocity loss, and now a trip back to the surgeon. Milwaukee hasn't declared a timeline, which often speaks louder than any official update. Meanwhile, Christian Yelich (left groin strain) is targeting live at-bats and baserunning by early next week, with a mid-to-late May return still the working estimate.

The one genuine piece of positive news out of the Brewers' injury report: manager Pat Murphy confirmed on his radio appearance that Jacob Misiorowski is on track to start against the Yankees when Milwaukee returns home. Misiorowski had to exit his last outing in the sixth inning — with a no-hitter in progress — due to right hamstring cramping. If he gets the ball against New York as scheduled, that matchup immediately draws interest. Two other relievers — Rob Zastryzny (intercostal strain) and Jared Koenig (left elbow) — remain on the IL, with Zastryzny only now working back to bullpen sessions and Koenig still on flat ground.

For bettors, the Woodruff situation is the variable most worth tracking on Milwaukee's team totals and first-five-inning lines. A rotation anchor throwing mid-80s fastballs isn't hiding a mechanical adjustment — that's a pitcher who shouldn't be trusted in a game-planning context right now. If Woodruff makes his next scheduled start before the medical picture clarifies, his outing's first-five total deserves serious scrutiny; opponents will have a significant edge against diminished velocity. More broadly, a Milwaukee bullpen missing Zerpa, Zastryzny, and Koenig — three left-handed arms — creates leverage gaps that opposing offenses, particularly right-handed-heavy lineups, will exploit late in games.

The Yelich timeline matters too for Milwaukee run-production props. Without their primary designated hitter in the lineup, the Brewers are leaning on a thinner offensive core. Any team total set at or above 4 for Milwaukee over the next two weeks warrants a hard look at the under, particularly in road games where the offense already tends to suppress. When Misiorowski faces the Yankees, watch his strikeout line — his stuff plays up when healthy, but the hamstring concern introduces an innings-ceiling risk that could cap his K upside regardless of what the number is posted at.