Angels righty Blake Wood has been diagnosed with an impingement in his pitching elbow, Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group was among those to report on Twitter. Wood is heading to the 10-day DL.
Fellow righty Justin Anderson receiving his first call to the majors to take the open roster spot. The team had an open 40-man spot to accommodate the selection of his contract. Another right-handed reliever, Eduardo Paredes, is also heading back to the majors after some time on optional assignment.
The Halos added Wood late in the 2017 season and then agreed to an arbitration contract with him just before the tender deadline. He’s earning $1.45MM for the 2018 season.
Details of the injury aren’t yet known, but this sort of malady typically sidelines a pitcher for a fairly substantial stretch of time. To take but one recent example — which may or may no be of much predictive value — the Dodgers shut down Alex Wood for about a month when he was diagnosed with an elbow impingement back in 2016.
Wood, 32, has given the Angels 11 2/3 innings of 2.31 ERA ball thus far. While he has only managed 7.7 K/9 against 5.4 BB/9, he’s sporting a fairly typical 10.0% swinging-strike rate and 96 mph average fastball. Wood has also generated groundballs at an excellent 58.6% rate in the early going.
While the Angels would surely rather continue trotting Wood out there, turning to Anderson represents an interesting alternative. The 25-year-old has opened eyes in the upper minors after a strong showing in camp. Through 8 2/3 innings at the Double-A and Triple-A thus far in the regular season, he has racked up a 14:2 K/BB ratio while allowing just two hits and no earned runs. That’s certainly an intriguing development for a pitcher who, entering the season, had averaged less than seven strikeouts per nine as a professional.
Justin Anderson is going to turn some heads and shock people in the early going. As long as he maintains his control like he’s done so far this year, I think he sticks in that bullpen
Thank you Johnny Superscout
Excellent rip down. “Tommy likey. Tommy want wingy.”
Feels like it could happen to anyone this year…
“Elbow impingement” = Tommy John?
I’m assuming ofc, but safe to say it feels like 2018 may be the year the number Pitcher TJ breaks records!
Sorry… have to assume the worst this year! Good luck
People go out for about a month and a half with elbow impingements, and it happens to a small group every year. It doesn’t mean finding a torn UCL.
Doesn’t sound good for Wood, but I am intrigued by Anderson. Jumping right into a series against the Astros followed by another against the Yanks will be a baptism by fire.