The downside of constructing a team like the Dodgers’ is that players can feel like interchangeable parts. The active roster changes every other day. Roles switch. Not everyone responds well to the instability.
“Obviously, the world’s not perfect,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You want everyone to buy into everything the organization is saying, but we understand they have their lives to think about.”
Which explains the depth of Roberts’ admiration for Alex Wood, who will start Friday night against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium.
The 26-year-old left-hander could have started the season as part of almost any other major league rotation.