With the advent of the 10-day disabled list under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Los Angeles Dodgers have aggressively utilized it whenever a starting pitcher has shown even the slightest sign of injury.
Once Clayton Kershaw went down with a lower back strain, it meant each of the pitchers from the Dodgers’ Opening Day rotation has been placed on the DL this season. Beyond that, the group also includes Julio Urias, who underwent season-ending surgery, and Scott Kazmir who has yet to pitch this season.
Alex Wood’s stint on the disabled list was relatively short, and though he admitted to battling fatigue after his last start, the southpaw may avoid the DL, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“It’s a possibility [he is skipped]. It’s unlikely,” said Roberts. “Just seeing where he’s at over the next couple of days and we’ll know more. He’s very aware that we’re trying to be mindful of his — and all of our starters’ — workload.”
Despite not pitching to his usual velocity or sharpness, Wood held the Atlanta Braves to just one run on seven hits over six innings. He threw an efficient 87 pitches but only managed to record two strikeouts, the fewest in any of his 17 starts this season.
Although the Dodgers may decide against putting Wood on the disabled list, three off days between now and Aug. 17 make for an opportunity to shuffle their rotation and provide him — as well as others — with additional rest.
As it stands, Wood should receive at least one day of extra rest before taking the mound Wednesday in the middle game of a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. He’s expected to first throw a bullpen session on Sunday.
