Cubs have learned hard lesson about doubting Brewers' fate with injuries

2026 has been a roller coaster for the Chicago Cubs, to say the least. Thanks in no small part to the team finding themselves in the thick of an unusually competitive NL Central division, this year has been full of highs and lows for Chicago. The Cubs' recent escapades highlight the emotional whiplash fans have been put through, as the team recently put up 23 runs against the Padres before laying an egg against St. Louis, who put up 17 runs at Wrigley in the very next game.

Given all those difficulties, it wouldn't be a shock if Cubs fans saw the recent news that Brewers veteran Brandon Woodruff is headed back to the injured list as something of an opportunity. Woodruff has long been one of the most talented starters in baseball, and he sports a 2.98 ERA in the nine starts he's been healthy enough to make this year. It's hard to deny that the Cubs' path to the top of the NL Central is easier when Woodruff isn't pitching.

At the same time, however, the Cubs and their fans should know better by now than to assume a poorly-timed injury would sink Milwaukee's ship. The Brewers weren't stopped from dominating when Christian Yelich broke his kneecap back in 2019, and Woodruff himself has made just 31 total starts (including this year) since the end of the 2022 campaign. Milwaukee wasn't slowed by those trips to the shelf for Woodruff, and it's unlikely they will be by this one either.

The Brewers' resilience in the face of injuries is something the Cubs need to learn from

As frustrating as it is to give credit to one of the team's biggest rivals, the Cubs need to acknowledge that the Brewers are much better at weathering the storm of pitching injuries than they are. In 2026, the Cubs have faced plenty of injury woes on the pitching side, with the biggest blows being that Cade Horton was lost for the year after just two starts and the more recent loss of Ben Brown amid a 68-inning breakout.

Those injuries have completely broken the Cubs' pitching apparatus, but the Brewers faced similar issues last year and still managed to finish the regular season with the NL's best record. Just like Horton, a hotshot youngster who had long been a top prospect was lost to the Brewers last year after just two starts when Robert Gasser required Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, Brown has actually pitched more innings this year than Milwaukee got out of Woodruff in 2025.

The Brewers managed to hang tough last year despite those injuries because they have droves of young pitching talent to lean on. From Jacob Misiorowski to Chad Patrick to Quinn Priester, the Brewers managed to get value from guys who had yet to establish themselves at the big league level coming into 2025 and were rewarded with a trip to the NLCS. If the Cubs want to get back to the NLCS for the first time since 2017, perhaps they'll need to follow in Milwaukee's footsteps.

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