Wood is the latest Dodgers starting pitcher to go on DL
Left-hander has an inflammation of a joint that connects sternum to clavicle.
ST. LOUIS — A little more than 10 months removed from elbow surgery, Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood understands the value of caution. He regrets pushing himself through pain last season, and he applied that logic to his current situation. On Monday morning, Wood became the latest member of the Dodgers’ starting rotation to hit the 10-day disabled list.
Wood (6-0, 1.69 ERA) was diagnosed with inflammation of a joint that connects the sternum to his left clavicle. He felt compression in the area after making a pitch against the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Wood and manager Dave Roberts expressed the hope that Wood will sit out only one outing.
“I’m just trying to be smart about it,” Wood said before Monday’s game at Busch Stadium. “I’ve done a lot of dumb things in my life. We’re just trying to be smart and stay where we’re at, and get the inflammation out of there, and plug back in for the next start.”
Wood was slated to pitch Wednesday against the Cardinals. Hyun-Jin Ryu figures to replace him. Roberts could not commit to Ryu, because the team could use him as a reliever before then.
To replace Wood on the roster, the Dodgers called up veteran reliever Brandon Morrow from triple-A Oklahoma City. Morrow, 32, had a 5.71 ERA for Oklahoma City. But his contract includes a June 1 opt-out, so the team wanted to give him an audition in the majors.
“For us to put eyes on him up here, I think he’s earned that opportunity,” Roberts said. “It’s going to be good for us. He can give us a little bit of length, and he’s throwing the baseball well.”
Wood has dealt with soreness in the joint. He experienced a more mild case during spring training. The ailment did not interrupt his throwing program.
After earning a spot in the starting rotation in April, Wood has built a case to make the All-Star game in July. He had little interest in repeating the follies of last season, when he tried to keep pitching after injuring his elbow while swinging a bat. Wood sat out three months after a debridement procedure.
So Wood will have to wait to see how he far he can extend his streak of scoreless innings. He leads the National League with a 251⁄3-inning stretch without giving up a run. He will be eligible to come off the disabled list next week when the Washington Nationals visit Dodger Stadium.
“It’s not ideal,” Wood said. “At the same time, I’m looking at the whole year. I’m looking at the big picture. And hopefully get this knocked out, and not have to worry about it after this.”