WASHINGTON — The Braves sent Alex Wood back to the minors to get stretched out to start again, and now that looks like a wise decision since they'll need a starter to replace injured veteran Gavin Floyd.
Floyd fractured his elbow throwing his first pitch in the seventh inning of a 3-0 win Thursday and is presumably out for the rest of the season. Wood pitched five solid innings Wednesday for Triple-A Gwinnett in the second start of what had been expected to be at least a three-start stay at Gwinnett but now could be truncated out of necessity.
Wood was sent to Gwinnett to get stretched out again following a one-month stint in the Braves bullpen. The young left-hander gave up five hits and one run with two walks and three strikeouts Wednesday against Indianapolis.
He has a 1.04 ERA in two starts for Gwinnett and has allowed seven hits, one run four walks with eight strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said before Thursday’s game that there was no timetable for Wood’s return to the Braves. But it was surely not a coincidence that Wood’s schedule would have put him on pace to start one of the games in the June 28 doubleheader at Philadelphia, when the Braves and Phillies will make up an April 15 rainout.
Wood was in line to make one more start at Gwinnett before that doubleheader. With the Floyd injury, Wood could now be brought back to fill in next week, or the Braves could shuffle the rotation a bit given the off day in the schedule Monday.
The Braves would like to make a deal or deals to strengthen their bullpen before the July 31 trade deadline. It was believed that they were willing to trade one of their veteran starters — Floyd or Aaron Harang had been likely candidates — in a deal for a reliever. With Floyd out of the picture they no longer have as much rotation depth.
