by Rowan Kavner
A picture Alex Wood posted to his Instagram on Wednesday displayed him on the dugout railing, looking out into a sea of cardboard cutouts at Dodger Stadium.
“What being on the IL during a pandemic feels like…” the caption read.
A month-long stint on the injured list can be uncomfortable in its own right. Layering on the social distancing requirements of the pandemic, and the feelings of isolation become magnified. As Wood worked his way back from shoulder inflammation, he said he felt a level of separation and disconnect.
“Things just aren’t the same as they are in any given normal year,” Wood said. “Adding being on the IL on top of that, not traveling with the guys, you feel at an arm’s length from your buddies.”
But those feelings are now in the past.
Wood was activated Tuesday night, throwing a scoreless inning in relief in his first appearance since July 25. The role he returned to was not the one he left.
“And that’s OK,” Wood said.
Wood was an All-Star for the Dodgers in 2017 while spending parts of four seasons in Los Angeles from 2015–18. The left-hander pitched last year in Cincinnati, where back spasms limited his season to seven starts.
He spent the offseason working to get right physically. Wood signed back with the Dodgers with the belief he’d start, feeling healthy and strong enough to do so. He broke camp in the rotation.
But Wood knew, even if he won a job early, a move to the bullpen could still present itself. With the shoulder injury knocking him out more than a month, and with the emergence of Tony Gonsolin, Wood accepted a role in relief when the Dodgers informed him of the decision about a week ago.
Wood said he supports the Dodgers’ choice to stick with Gonsolin, a pitcher he’s become good friends with and knows will “be a big part of the future for the LA Dodgers.”
“He’s a sponge, man, and he’s got a really bright future,” Wood said. “So I’m excited for him, and that’s what they felt like the move they wanted to do (was) going forward. I just want to win a World Series.”
That goal is still within his grasp as a reliever.
As he prepares for the new role, he said the Dodgers want to keep him built up in case anything happens to one of the starters. In his first game back, Wood pitched one inning and struck out two batters, but he could be used in multi-inning stints moving forward.
“It’s just good to see him throw up a clean inning and get him in the mix with our guys,” said manager Dave Roberts.
After what he went through last year and last month, Wood said it feels good to be back on the mound regardless of the role.
He hopes to earn the Dodgers’ trust in high-leverage situations as the season progresses, and believes he’ll do so. While this circumstance isn’t the one he imagined, he said there were other destinations he could’ve chosen this offseason if all he cared about was starting.
“I’ve invested a lot to the city of LA, to this organization,” Wood said. “I love this organization as much as you could love an organization. I’m super excited to feel good and be able to contribute in whatever way I can, and hopefully get across the finish line so we can hoist a trophy up at the end of all this.”
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Alex Wood, excited to return to action, is ready and willing to help in new role - mlblogs.com
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