Wood sharp out of 'pen in return from IL
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The Dodgers didn't add a big league player at the Trade Deadline, but they were busy with roster decisions on Tuesday.
Alex Wood was activated off the injured list to take the spot of Ross Stripling, who was traded on Monday to Toronto for right-handed pitching prospect Kendall Williams and a player to be named.
Wood, however, was sent to the bullpen. He debuted in Tuesday night's 6-3 win over the D-backs with an impressive eighth inning. He struck out the first two batters he faced, plunked Tim Locastro after having him down 0-2 and then retired Ketel Marte on a lineout to center field.
Manager Dave Roberts said Wood's velocity has improved after spending a month on the sidelines with shoulder inflammation he suffered during his lone appearance of the year, a three-inning, July 25 start. To return as a starter would have meant a longer delay while building up his pitch count.
"He's all on board," Roberts said of Wood and his new role, even though the lefty came into camp with a rotation spot after injuries limited him to seven starts with Cincinnati last year.
Walker Buehler, out with a right index finger blister, will be activated to start Wednesday night against Arizona, with Clayton Kershaw pushed back to Thursday night.
Roberts said the rotation is now set with Kershaw, Buehler, Julio Urías and rookies Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, the latter having made Stripling expendable.
A healthy Wood could take some of the early-game load off rookie Victor González, as the ripple effect of injuries to relievers Joe Kelly and Pedro Báez meant more leverage situations for Dylan Floro and Caleb Ferguson.
The Dodgers received the 20-year-old Williams as one of the two players to be named in exchange for Stripling. The 6-foot-6, 205-pound right-hander was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Blue Jays' No. 13 prospect after being taken in the second round of the 2019 Draft and enters the Dodgers organization as their No. 26 prospect.
Williams, 20, pitched in six games (five starts) for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays in 2019, going 0-0 with a 1.13 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 16 innings. He was a Vanderbilt commit out of the IMG Academy in Florida.