Reds Rumors

Reds lefty Alex Wood is finally pain-free after struggling with back issues all spring, as Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. He expressed optimism that he has turned the corner and is ready to move back towards the MLB roster.

Though Wood has still yet to throw off of a mound since a setback prompted a long layoff, there’s now some forward momentum — as well as a loose timeline. Now a week into a throwing program, Wood estimates that he’s “probably 2 ½ weeks” away from a rehab assignment. At last look, this kind of general rehab framework wasn’t yet clear.

Since he’ll likely need a few minor-league outings to build up a pitch count, it seems unrealistic to expect a return before the month of July. Nightengale suggests the All-Star break as a loose target, which seems reasonable.

That’s still a ways off. And hurdles remain, particularly since setbacks have thwarted prior attempts to overcome the back issues that cropped up this spring.

Wood thinks this time is different. “I feel really good,” he says. “Things have been going really, really well.” Though he acknowledged that he still doesn’t “want to get too far ahead of myself” given the course the injury has taken, he says he’s “definitely on the way” back to the MLB mound.

The Reds rotation has been a pleasant surprise even without Wood, an offseason acquisition who is earning $9.65MM in his final season of arbitration eligibility. But that doesn’t mean the 28-year-old southpaw isn’t needed back.

For one thing, it would be unwise to assume that the club will continue to enjoy such phenomenal good health from its existing unit. The Reds have yet to hand the ball to a pitcher other than Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Tanner Roark, Tyler Mahle, or Anthony DeSclafani to open a game. There’s also room to improve in the fifth slot, as DeSclafani has struggled.

If the Cincinnati organization is to make a charge this summer, it’ll need every advantage it can get. Wood could also be a trade or even a qualifying offer candidate if he returns to good form in a timely manner. And there’s obviously plenty on the line for the pitcher himself, who is slated to reach the open market at the end of the season.

Left-hander Alex Wood was one of the Reds’ key acquisitions during an eventful offseason for the club, but he still hasn’t made his Cincinnati debut two months into the campaign. Unfortunately, a return isn’t imminent for Wood, who has been dealing with back issues since late February. There remains no timetable for a comeback, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports, though manager David Bell said Saturday the Reds are hopeful Wood will begin a rehab assignment sometime soon.

The Reds’ rotation finished 25th in the majors in ERA and 26th in fWAR last year, spurring executives Dick Williams and Nick Krall to take action over the winter. Along with adding Wood, who joined the Reds in a December blockbuster with the Dodgers that also delivered outfielders Yasiel Puig and the since-released Matt Kemp to Cincy, the club picked up ex-Yankee Sonny Gray and former National Tanner Roark in trades with those franchises. The Gray and Roark acquisitions have worked out thus far, while Luis Castillo has blossomed into a front-line starter and fellow holdover Tyler Mahle has held his own. Consequently, the Reds boast a much-improved starting staff that sits fourth in the game in ERA and fifth in fWAR.

While it’s obvious the Reds’ rotation has made enormous strides this year, it’s fair to believe the unit would be even more formidable with Wood. Righty Anthony DeSclafani been a merely replacement-level option so far in 2019, whereas the 28-year-old Wood has been a quality performer since his career began with the Braves in 2011. He concluded his three-plus-year Dodgers tenure in 2018 with 151 2/3 innings of 3.68 ERA/3.53 FIP ball, 8.01 K/9 against 2.37 BB/9, and a 48.9 percent groundball rate.

Given Wood’s showing last year and his general track record, a healthy version could have helped the Reds push for a playoff spot this season (they’re 23-28, five games back of a wild-card spot and 7 1/2 out in the uber-competitive National League Central race). Wood also could have vied for a sizable payday going into the upcoming winter, given that he’s in his last season of team control. However, if Wood doesn’t come back strong sometime over the next couple months, he may be in for a disappointing trip to the open market.