While he began the season in the bullpen because of a surplus of starting pitchers, Alex Wood became an integral part of the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation before the calendar turned to May. More so than Rich Hill, it was Wood who emerged as a complement to Clayton Kershaw.
Wood went 11-0 with a 1.56 ERA while holding opponents to a .173/.240/.228 batting line through his first 16 games (14 starts) before suffering a loss. A second brush with left SC joint inflammation required another stint on the disabled list and led to a string of shaky outings.
Wood’s start Friday night against the Washington Nationals was his third since coming off the DL. He turned in six shutout innings and snapped a string of five consecutive starts in which at least one home run was allowed.
Following the strong outing, Wood said he’s nearing the level he pitched at earlier this season, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“I thought it all kind of came together,” said Wood. “I’m pretty close, still a little to go. I’ve been working really hard to solidify my mechanics and be back to where I need to be for the playoffs. Tonight was a good stepping stone.”
On the year, Wood is now 15-3 with a 2.69 ERA, 3.23 FIP and 1.06 WHIP in 25 games (23 starts). The win against the Nationals snapped a personal two-game losing streak. Wood’s 140.1 innings pitched are second only to the 189.2 innings he threw in 2015.
Although the 26-year-old has been key in the rotation, it’s plausible Wood gets shifted to the bullpen come the playoffs. It’s all the more likely if Kenta Maeda or Hyun-Jin Ryu are able to emerge as a fourth starter.
The possible change wouldn’t be in response to results, but rather Wood’s experience with pitching in relief.
