The Los Angeles Dodgers reinstated Alex Wood and Edwin Rios from the 10-day injured list and placed Justin Turner on the IL with a left hamstring strain. Turner’s stint is retroactive to Saturday, Aug. 29.
Wood had been sidelined since July 28 due to inflammation in his left shoulder. That was explained to be the cause for Wood’s struggles in his only start of the season thus far. He went just three innings, allowed three runs and issued three walks in a loss to the San Francisco Giants.
After being shut down from baseball activities for more than a week, the southpaw resumed throwing and eventually built up to face batters on multiple occasions. Those proved not only key to establish health but also mechanics.
“I was hanging pretty good through Summer Camp and then into my first [start]. My metrics had kind of stayed the same throughout Summer Camp and then my arm slot dropped pretty significantly in that first start,” Wood explained last month.
“It was back up [in a simulated game] for the most part, felt good overall, so hopefully I’ll be able to bounce back and keep on climbing the ladder from there. My shoulder is feeling better, so it was closer to what it has been over Spring Training and Summer Camp.”
There was less encouragement with Wood after he pitched in a game the Dodgers arranged during an off day last week for players from their alternate training site. “I think it was positive, I don’t want to say overwhelmingly positive as far as how Alex came out of it,” manager Dave Roberts said.
“Right now I don’t think we know the next steps. It’s more him getting with the trainers and pitching guys to figure out what’s the next course of action.”
Although Wood has been deemed health enough to return, he’s doing so now as a member of the bullpen. Roberts envisions Wood being utilized as a multi-inning relief pitcher.
At the time of reuniting with the Dodgers during the offseason, Wood said it was with the expectation he was going to be part of the Opening Day rotation. That came to fruition, but appears to have only lasted for one outing.
The Dodgers starting rotation moving forward consists of Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin; not necessarily in that order.
Turner is sidelined after the Dodgers initially hoped time off would be enough for the hamstring trouble that forced him out of last weekend’s series opener against the Texas Rangers. Turner went through a pregame workout to test his hamstring prior to the Dodgers making their decision.
Rios returns after nursing his own hamstring issue that also occurred on a slide into second base.
Buehler returning
Buehler is currently on the 10-day IL due to a blister on his right hand but is expected to be activated and start Wednesday. That will push Kershaw back to the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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