Having pitched his way out of the bullpen and into the starting rotation, Alex Wood is in the midst of the best season of his five-year career. The 26-year-old was named to his first All-Star Game and has been vital to the Dodgers’ success.
Wood took the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night in position to tie Clayton Kershaw for most wins (15) in the Majors this season. Instead, he was hit hard early and faced a deficit for much of the series opener.
Curtis Granderson’s grand slam changed Wood’s fortunes, only for the Dodgers bullpen to squander a lead. Wood ultimately didn’t factor into the decision as Los Angeles gutted out a win in extra innings.
Following the Dodgers’ 39th comeback victory this season, manager Dave Roberts said Wood dealt with a recurrence of SC joint inflammation and the southpaw indicated he will likely skip at least one start, per Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
Alex Wood's SC joint flared up again, Dave Roberts said.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) August 22, 2017
Sounds like Alex Wood will skip a start or two. Team will figure out a plan this week.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) August 22, 2017
Wood’s outing came to an end after six innings. He allowed three runs, each coming on a homer, including back-to-back shots to Jose Osuna and Sean Rodriguez in the second inning. Josh Harrison took Wood deep in the third.
Wood entered the night having allowed just seven home runs in 117.1 innings over his previous 20 games (19 starts). His velocity was again down, which Wood previously attributed to fatigue. A bullpen session that targeted working on mechanics served as a temporary solution.
Further signs of trouble are found in Wood’s ground ball rate that was 63.5 percent before the All-Star break, and is down to 47.1 percent since. He previously spent 12 days on the disabled list in due to his sternum issue. Wood said the latest bout has been prevalent since his Aug. 9 start.
