2016 Dodgers review: Alex Wood

A look back at the 2016 season of Alex Wood, who is in many ways the forgotten man on the Dodgers pitching staff.

What went right

Wood had four quality starts in a five-start stretch, and from April 29 to May 30 he struck out 50 with only eight walks with a 2.48 ERA in six starts.

His 25.9% strikeout rate in 2016 was a career high.

After returning to the team in September, Wood switched to relief and pitched four scoreless innings with four strikeouts, retiring 11 of 13 batters.

Wood made the Dodgers’ NLCS roster and pitched two scoreless innings in his one appearance.

What went wrong

Wood had a start pushed back in late May with left triceps tightness, though perhaps this is a positive since it opened the door for Julio Urias to make his major league debut.

But things got worse for Wood, who only made one more start, on Memorial Day, before he was shut down with a left elbow impingement. That elbow injury progressed to arthroscopic surgery on July 20, which kept Wood out two more months before he returned in a relief role.

Wood had a weird home/road split, at least superficially, with a 5.73 ERA away from home compared to 1.32 at home. But the peripherals were mostly the same, with his FIP at home (3.07) not demonstrably better than on the road (3.27).

2016 particulars

Age: 25

Stats: 3.73 ERA, 3.18 FIP in 14 games (10 starts), 66 K, 20 BB in 60⅓ IP; 0.3 rWAR, 1.3 fWAR

Salary: $530,000

Game of the year

Wood allowed one run on five hits in seven innings on April 29 in a home win over the Padres, striking out nine with one walk.

Roster status

Wood has three years, 123 days of service time and is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. Matt Swartz at MLB Trade Rumors projected Wood to earn $2 million in 2017.

Wood has three option years remaining.