The Dodgers have announced that lefty Alex Wood will “undergo an arthroscopic debridement” of his pitching elbow. The southpaw is expected to miss eight weeks after the surgery is complete, per the announcement.
Doing the math, things don’t look terribly promising for a return in 2016. The team’s estimate would put Wood back in action in mid-to-late September, and that’s before considering a full rehab build-up and factoring in contingencies. A post-season return may be hypothetically possible, but that might be an aggressive assignment.
Wood had been building back after being diagnosed with an elbow impingement, with some optimism being expressed recently, but evidently some recent development led to the change in plans. It comes at an inopportune time for a Dodgers team that also lost another starter returning from injury — fellow southpaw Hyun-jin Ryu — to another malady. And that’s before considering the most important lefty of all, Clayton Kershaw, who doesn’t have a timetable to return from his back issues after a recent throwing session didn’t go well.
Wood, 25, had worked to a 3.99 ERA in 56 1/3 innings on the year, but showed promise for more with a rising strikeout rate (9.9 K/9). With a healthy 53.0% groundball rate mixed in, Wood checked in with rather excellent ratings from ERA estimators. He was carrying a 3.27 FIP, 3.31 xFIP, and 3.52 SIERA.
There’s been plenty of discussion about what Los Angeles might do at the trade deadline, though we’ve heard relatively little in terms of clear connections to specific targets. The organization already added righty Bud Norris to shore up the rotation, but the loss of Wood, the continued uncertainty surrounding Ryu, and an increasingly concerning situation with Kershaw may heighten the Dodgers’ desire to add a major starter.
At present, the Dodgers sit 4.5 games back of the Giants in the NL West and lead the Wild Card race. That’s not a bad spot to be in at all, but the club will need to be firing with all cylinders to keep pace in the division — or, if that fails, to hold off some strong pursuers to qualify for the play-in game.
For Wood, the continued absence comes at a particularly unfortunate time. He is set to qualify for arbitration for the first time after the 2016 campaign, but now is destined to have only a partial-season platform. Though his success and prior innings tallies will help boost his earnings, he’ll surely receive far less than he would have with a healthy year.
Another one bites the dust.
Tanaka for Puig, Urias, Bellinger and Holmes. Get it done, Cashman.
That is crazy talk. Tanaka can’t bring back that kind of talent.
Sure, and let’s just throw in the team bus while we are at it.
Besides the fact he’s not worth that much, his contract hurts his trade value even more
That is funny
At a minimum the Yanks would have to throw in Horace Clarke!
Tanaka doesn’t get Urias straight up.
No one wants Tanaka, and sure wouldn’t give up the #1 pitching prospect to get him.
we will do Mike Bolsinger and Yimi Garcia and will take that 80 mill that come with Tanaka, lol.
ha, will we do Mike Bollsinger & Yimi Garcia for Mr Tanaka & his hefty contract, lol.
Tanaka’s not worth that. Not even Urias.
LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Dodgers wouldn’t even do Urias straight up for Tanaka
For those who don’t know, Judge Judy is a closet Red Sox fan with a Yankee avatar trying to make Yankee fans look stupid with the type of posts/proposals he makes.
I hate the Dodgers and I lol’ed at this offer.
How about all of your bad players for all of their good ones! Get real!
Atlanta dodged a bullet with that one. If i’m Wood, I wouldn’t even attempt to come back in 2016. Just save it for 2017, 100% healthy.
It seems you are forgetting the bullet Atlanta took in that trade.
It is quite possible that the player that nets the best value in the long run will be the one the Braves drafted with the competitive balance pick they received in the three way deal (lots of people forget that one).
The player acquired with that pick is Joey Wentz. Keep an eye on him. It is extremely early of course in Wentz’s career but so far he has been excellent. The 18 year old has thrown 12 innings, with 18 strike outs, no earned runs, 3 hits and 5 walks allowed. In any event a good start, even if it could easily be 4 or 5 seasons before he is seen in Atlanta (if ever).
At least I have my fingers crossed!
Let me know when you get back from the racetrack. I hope you pick some good ponies.
Honestly, he could be right. ATL built its entire draft around signing Wentz, as they liked him that much, and many teams were scared off by his price tag. That’s why the pre-draft agreement for underslot signing with Ian Anderson so they could have enough for Wentz and Muller in the compensatory rounds. I think they wanted Wentz more than Ian Anderson, to tell you the truth, from all the predraft coverage I followed.
To be fair, Olivera has only thrown punches so far. At women, true. But the day is young.
We’ve dodged a lot of bullets with pitchers we chose not to continue to employ: Medlen, Beachy, Minor, Wood, Miller. And probably more.
Yes, ATL dodged a bullet with this one…and got slapped with an over-the-hill Cuban manhandling females…whew, glad we lucked out on that one…
At the end of the day, it’s pretty equal, but I think it will be easier for Atlanta to get more value than the Dodgers (in Wood) – and yes, Wentz is a big part of that trade.
Atlanta was high on him from the beginning.
Wow, what’s in the water for the pitchers around the LA area..
Alex Wood has been due arm issues for years, especially since his TJ surgery in college and his odd pitching mechanics. I’m surprised he’s last this long.
Thanks doc. Would you mind taking a look at my left knee next?
I am blind in one eye and see mostly pink…and even I could even see that coming for Wood. If you couldn’t, I’ve got some oceanfront land in Colorado I think you would be interested in buying.
Sure, and all the sports docs and GMs and all the other pros can’t. But you can.
Apparently the Braves’ docs could, lol.
Wood’s mechanics were cited as the primary reason the Braves would trade such a young controllable asset. His injuries should come as no surprise to Friedman and co. They were well aware of the risks involved.
Yes and the other theory is that Atlanta has better sport docs than LA.
Sure, that makes sense.
Look at his mechanics. Since he came up with the Braves his mechanics have been a topic of discussion during games, spring training, etc.
It was one of the reason they were willing to trade him. He was a controllable, young lefty who was having success in the rotation.
I’m not sure why you’re arguing.
I had no idea the “edit” button shut down after 5 mins, even while editing. I had quotes from back to 2014 of people being worried about his mechanics.
Oh well, not going to re-do it. They’re out there if you want to research
Where, specifically in Alex Wood’s mechanics do you see anything sports doctors, or really anyone for that matter would qualify as worrying from a medical perspective? Aside from the delivery itself being slightly more violent than one would like to see, I’ve never noticed anything that would suggest he’s going to fall apart. Furthermore, I think it’s kind of ridiculous for anyone to say the Braves traded him because they knew he was going to have arm issues. If that were the case, I imagine they would have tried to alter his mechanics well before he ever stepped onto a major league field, or just you know…not drafted him. They made the trade because they were way to into Olivera and valued the future draft pick as highly as they did (rightfully so). I’d love to see some specifics as to what you mean by look at his mechanics.
cited by whom, when, where? I’m a pretty die hard Braves fan and don’t remember that discussion…
The broadcasters talked about it a lot when he first came up. It’s anything but smooth, which can wear more on the arm. I’m not saying that they definitively knew he was going to get injured, but I can vouch for them talking about his delivery and the potential of it ending up in an injury sooner or later.
The broadcasters are not doctors either, and they are always talking about something.
You’re hilarious! The point being made here is that he has a funky delivery that is not smooth. These types of deliveries are generally harder on the body.
Are you trying to argue this? Or are you trying to nitpick on the details of who said it and their qualifications?
If the broadcasters were talking about it, there is no doubt the rest of the organization knew even more.
If you’ve looked into biomechanics and the aspects of guys’ deliveries that tend to put strain on elbows or shoulders, Alex Wood doesn’t display any of those. The only unorthodox parts of his delivery have to do with the lack of smoothness in the motion itself. As far as having all the right parts of his body in the right spots during the respective stress points of his delivery, he doesn’t register as someone who anybody with a pair of eyes could tell is going to breakdown quickly, ie. Brandon Beachy.
Using to the comments of people who have no reason to have any special knowledge of a situation and are paid to prattle on about whatever comes to their minds as your source just points out the flimsiness of your argument. But since you seem to know all about this, maybe you should apply for your Nobel Prize now before someone else who watches TV beats you to it.
Yea I understand that, was just joking with all the angels and dodgers pitchers getting hurt.
What a joke. Too many injuries. Don’t even know how we are still in contention. Thank God for all that depth we had at the beginning of the season. We really need to pull off a blockbuster trade. I like the idea of getting Longoria and Archer. As much as I like Utley you can slide Turner to 2nd. Utley and Turner can split time at 2nd while Utley and Turner can both give Gonzales more time off at 1st. I love the bat Howie is swinging so you gotta keep him in at LF. If we can make that trade somehow we’d be looking a lot better. I hear the Dodgers are looking to make a big splash finally at the deadline..lets see if that really happens.
Good god man. Longo AND archer? Goodbye your literal entire farm system. Urias, bellinger, Holmes, verdugo, etc
I hear they are trying to make that trade that’s why I say it. Not like I’m the one making it up. I think we have a very deep system and can make it happen all over Espn and other sports pages they are saying Dodgers looking to make a huge trade and they may try to make that trade
hah…why dont you go ahead and get trout, harper and machado as well.
Oh yea because Longoria and Archer are comparable to the best two players in Baseball (Harper and Trout) right? I’m not being far fetched like you’re acting like. May want to Chex all the reports out there the Dodgers are trying to make that trade instead of bashing me for hoping it actually happens
I’d trade cashner for him. Cash might help the
Dodgers this year. Wood would be solid back of the rotation piece through his arbitration years.