Whereas Alex Wood was squeezed out of the Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation at the beginning of the season because of the team’s depth, Hyun-Jin Ryu suffered the same fate in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Wood’s string of stellar performances earned him a spot in the rotation.
But left SC joint inflammation landed the southpaw on the 10-day disabled list this week. Wood was slated to start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, which instead was taken by Ryu.
The start was Ryu’s first since May 18. He made his first career relief appearance on May 25, converting a four-inning save against the Cardinals. While Ryu turned in six quality innings, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stopped short of guaranteeing him a spot in the rotation moving forward.
According to Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times, Roberts said that hinges on Wood’s health:
“Obviously, his outing tonight was very encouraging,” Roberts said. “We’ve always considered him a starter. We’d like to continue to give him opportunities. But I think right now, it’s still contingent upon Alex’s health.”
The Cardinals managed just one run on three hits, and Ryu finished with four strikeouts. Had there not been miscommunication in the outfield, it’s plausible Ryu would have held St. Louis scoreless over his six innings of work.
The 30-year-old now sports a 3.91 ERA, which is the lowest it’s been since Ryu’s first start of the season.
At the time of putting Wood on the DL, Roberts said the club expected him just to miss one turn in the rotation. Wood voiced a similar sentiment. However, there’s some concern over his slow recovery from the inflammation.
