The Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday reinstated Alex Wood from the 60-day disabled list and designated Bud Norris for assignment to create room for Wood on the 40-man roster. The southpaw last pitched May 30.
He threw back-to-back simulated games last week as a final test. Wood was placed on the 15-day DL with left posterior elbow soreness on May 31.
An MRI the following day revealed an impingement in Wood’s throwing elbow. He was prescribed four weeks of rest and was scheduled to be reevaluated at that time.
However, Wood underwent an arthroscopic debridement of his left elbow in late-July, which came with an estimated recovery period of eight weeks.
That eliminated the possibility of the 25-year-old returning this season as a starting pitcher. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he intends to use Wood as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen.
He last worked as reliever against the New York Mets in Game 3 the 2015 National League Division series, allowing four runs on four hits, including a three-run home run, in just two innings.
Over his four-year career, Wood is 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 31 games (37 innings) out of the bullpen. He’s 1-4 with a 3.99 ERA, 3.27 FIP and 1.31 WHIP in 10 starts this season.
Wood joins Luis Avilan, Grant Dayton, J.P. Howell, Adam Liberatore and Julio Urias as left-handers currently in the Dodgers’ bullpen.
The 31-year-old Norris was 3-3 with a 6.54 ERA, 5.15 FIP and 1.62 WHIP in 13 games (nine starts) with the Dodgers after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves in early July. Norris was the Dodgers’ immediate answer to needing a starter after losing Clayton Kershaw to the disabled list.
In 3.1 innings out of the bullpen as a long reliever, Norris gave up seven hits and five runs. He did not have a scoreless outing in any of his four relief appearances. The right-hander pitched just twice during September.
Norris was a combined 6-10 with a 5.10 ERA in 113 innings pitched with the Braves and Dodgers.
