Alex Wood rejoins shuffled Dodgers rotation

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers have shuffled their rotation a bit with Rich Hill on the disabled list, and will turn to Alex Wood to start Friday night’s series opener against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

That pushes Kenta Maeda to Saturday, flipping those two slots in the rotation.

“We had thoughts of potentially having Rich and Kenta switch,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Now with Alex, with him throwing the other day, it lines up with his regular rest anyway.”

Wood threw 41 pitches in 3⅓ scoreless innings on Saturday night against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. That was in relief of Maeda, who allowed four runs in four innings, throwing 71 pitches, and sports a 7.07 ERA and 4.57 FIP after three starts this season.

Wood has walked six (one intentionally) in his nine innings this year, but has also allowed just two runs (one earned) on three hits, striking out right. He made one spot start, on Apr. 10 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

“The way Alex is throwing the baseball, we see him as a starter anyway,” Roberts said. “Right now, with this situation, it makes sense.”

The Dodgers are off Thursday.

Gutierrez on the mend

Dodgers outfielder Franklin Gutierrez took batting practice on the field at Dodger Stadium before Monday night’s game. He will head to the club’s facility at Camelback Ranch in Arizona this week to get at-bats in simulated games.

Gutierrez is nursing a strained left hamstring, and the earliest he could be activated from the disabled list is Friday, when the Dodgers are in Phoenix.

“Come Friday we’ll make a decision, if there needs to be more time to take at-bats or if he’ll be active,” Roberts said.

If the Diamondbacks remain on their current rotation through the weekend, Robbie Ray — starting tonight at Dodger Stadium — would start Saturday, the only left-hander scheduled to face the Dodgers next weekend, so perhaps that could be a more realistic target date for the return of the right-handed Gutierrez.