The Dodgers will activate left-hander Alex Wood from the injured list Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and other reporters. Wood will work from the bullpen upon his return. Meanwhile, righty Walker Buehler will come off the IL on Wednesday, per Roberts. Buehler has been out for a little over a week with a blister.
Wood’s in his second stint with the Dodgers, who signed him to a one-year, $4MM contract last winter after an injury-plagued season with Cincinnati. Unfortunately, this has been yet another limited year for the oft-injured Wood, who made his lone start/appearance of the season July 25 before landing on the IL with shoulder inflammation.
When healthy, the 29-year-old Wood has been highly effective in the majors, where he has pitched to a 3.42 ERA/3.50 FIP with 8.25 K/9, 2.58 BB/9 and a 49.1 percent groundball rate in 842 innings. While most of Wood’s experience has come as a starter, he has amassed 43 appearances in relief. He’ll return to that role for a World Series hopeful LA team that dealt swingman Ross Stripling to the Blue Jays on Monday, leaving the Dodgers with Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Julio Urias as their starting five.
Alex Wood is ideal for the pen. The Dodgers need at least one more starter. Price really screwed them over.
I agree. I wish he would just transition to pen and accept that going forward that’s a really good option. I get that he sees himself as a starter but he could develop into a really good setup guy. It’s a shame about David Price but hopefully the upside is, he has a break from baseball, freshens up his mind and body.
Dude you’re way off on the David Price angle but good try
Price didn’t screw anyone over. It was his decision and should be respected. In fact, he gave $1,000 to each of 190 Dodger minor leaguers that he’d never met. I’m a longtime fan of his and am happy he’s a Dodger. A quality pitcher and human being who can play for my team anytime.
Re Wood: he’s kinda not needed as the pen in deep in lefthanders. Ferguson, Kolarek, Alexander, and McGee have all pitched well. The wildcard is Victor Gonzalez, another lefty who has looked good and can provide length. That would make Wood the sixth lefty on the bullpen depth chart. Righthanders are Floro, Graterol, Treinen, with Baez and Kelly currently on IL and Jansen to close. That’s 12 guys competing for 8 post-season spots (I didn’t include Santana and White). Even if Baez and Kelly don’t return, Wood will be hard-pressed to make the cut, He was terrible as a reliever in the 2018 playoffs.
He’s been good as a reliever overall though. Significantly more so than as a starter. You’re right he does have a challenge ahead of himself to find a role in this bullpen but his path is probably as a long reliever to replace that other guy.
Rosters are going to be 28 in the postseason. I would imagine that would be 4 starters and around 9-10 relievers. Get used to short starts and a parade of three out relievers.
screwed them over? they’re going to breeze into the playoffs and then they probably wouldn’t have started him in the playoffs because of the combination of better options and his postseason issues. not to mention your priorities being whacked when you are upset about someone making a decision like that for themselves
They should trade Price in the offseason.
Tony Gonsolin giving up zero runs thus far and Dustin May’s 19 inch breaking fastball strongly disagree with you
Dodgers should have kicked the tires harder on Clevinger. Padres gave up a relatively weak crop of players to get their new #1.
A rotation of CK, Clevinger, Buehler, Urias and Gonsolin/May would have been very formidable.
That would have been the guaranteed best rotation in baseball even though I still think the Dodgers are top 2 or 3. Cleveland is still number 1 In my opinion even after trading two aces in the last year. It’s crazy how they develop pitchers but I think the Dodgers rotation is right behind them and a little better then the Nationals. Mets would be high if it wasn’t for injuries.
Hope Wood can shove out of the pen or maybe even get a few spot starts in the rotation. The Dodgers are very liberal with the 10 day IL with pitchers. Build up his value to get another decent 1 year deal and prove himself. He has been a very good pitcher when he is healthy.
idk if he was hurt his last start but he did not look good at all
Dodger radio said today he’s pitching thru shoulder inflammation
Baring some crazy injuries, I don’t see Wood making the postseason roster. Especially with how good the lefties that are already in the pen have been. I’ve always liked him and I hope he can rebuild some of his value to get another chance next year but as for this one, there just isn’t enough time for him to find it in time for the postseason.
He Looked really good tonight-
He will get his run these next 26 days while we play musical chairs with the IL but I dont expect him to crack the postseason roster