Whereas Alex Wood was squeezed out of the Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation at the beginning of the season because of the team’s depth, Hyun-Jin Ryu suffered the same fate in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Wood’s string of stellar performances earned him a spot in the rotation.
But left SC joint inflammation landed the southpaw on the 10-day disabled list this week. Wood was slated to start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, which instead was taken by Ryu.
The start was Ryu’s first since May 18. He made his first career relief appearance on May 25, converting a four-inning save against the Cardinals.