Blake Wood

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Blake Wood

|image = BlakeWood (cropped).jpg

|image_size =

|caption = Wood with the Reds in 2016

|position = Pitcher

|bats = Right

|throws = Right

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|8|8}}

|birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = May 12

|debutyear = 2010

|debutteam = Kansas City Royals

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate = April 21

|finalyear = 2018

|finalteam = Los Angeles Angels

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label = Win–loss record

|stat1value = 16–16

|stat2label = Earned run average

|stat2value = 4.47

|stat3label = Strikeouts

|stat3value = 276

|teams =

Kansas City Royals ({{mlby|2010}}–{{mlby|2011}})
Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|2013}}–{{mlby|2014}})
Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|2016}}–{{mlby|2017}})
Los Angeles Angels ({{mlby|2017}}–{{mlby|2018}})

}}

Blake Daniel Wood (born August 8, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels.

Early life

Prior to playing professionally, he attended North Gwinnett High School and then Georgia Tech. In the summer of 2004, Wood pitched in the Alaska Baseball League for the Anchorage Bucs, and in the summer of 2005 played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.{{cite web|author= |url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date= |access-date=September 25, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/summer/stats.asp?Y=2005&T=Yarmouth-Dennis%20Red%20Sox |title=2005 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox |publisher=thebaseballcube.com |accessdate=September 23, 2021}}

Professional career

=Kansas City Royals=

File:Blake Wood on May 24, 2011.jpg, in 2011]]

Wood was drafted in the third round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft by the Royals, and he began his professional career that season. Playing for the Idaho Falls Chukars, he went 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 12 starts.

He pitched for three teams in 2007 - the AZL Royals (0-0, 0.00 ERA in four starts), the Burlington Bees (2-1, 3.03 ERA in seven starts) and the Wilmington Blue Rocks (0-1, 4.66 ERA in two starts) - going a combined 2-2 with a 2.78 ERA in 13 starts.

In 2008, Wood pitched for the Blue Rocks (3-2, 2.67 ERA in 10 starts) and Northwest Arkansas Naturals (5-7, 5.30 ERA in 18 starts), going a combined 8-9 with a 4.25 ERA in 28 starts. In 144 innings, he allowed only 128 hits.

Though he spent three games (two starts) with the AZL Royals in 2009, he spent most of the season with the Naturals, going 2-8 with a 5.83 ERA in 17 games (13 starts) with them. Overall, he went 2-9 with a 5.55 ERA in 2009.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=wood--001bla Minor league statistics]

Wood made his MLB debut for the Royals on May 12, 2010. Wood went 6-6 with a 4.30 ERA in 106 appearances in two seasons with the Royals.

On May 18, 2012, it was announced that Wood's 2012 season has ended due to a torn UCL in his right elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery.{{cite news|last1=Kaegal|first1=Dick|title=Duffy, Wood both need Tommy John surgery|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120518&content_id=31640054&vkey=news_kc&c_id=kc|access-date=September 2, 2014|work=MLB.com|date=May 18, 2012}}{{cite news|title=Two on Royals to get Tommy John|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/7947423/kansas-city-royals-danny-duffy-blake-wood-headed-tommy-john-surgery|access-date=September 2, 2014|agency=Associated Press|work=ESPN.com|date=May 18, 2012}}

=Cleveland Indians=

On November 2, 2012, Wood was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians.{{cite news|title=Indians claim RHP Blake Wood|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/8584704/cleveland-indians-claim-blake-wood-waivers-kansas-city-royals|access-date=September 2, 2014|agency=Associated Press|work=ESPN.com|date=November 2, 2012}} Wood was activated from the 60-day disabled list on July 14, 2013, and optioned to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.

On December 2, 2013, Wood signed a one-year Major League deal for 2014 with the Indians, avoiding arbitration.{{cite news|title=Cleveland Indians sign RHP Blake Wood to 1-year deal, avoid arbitration with deadline looming|url=https://www.foxnews.com/sports/cleveland-indians-sign-rhp-blake-wood-to-1-year-deal-avoid-arbitration-with-deadline-looming/|access-date=September 2, 2014|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Fox News|date=November 30, 2012}}

On May 26, 2014 the Indians designated Wood for assignment.{{cite news|last1=Popely|first1=Joe|title=Swisher lands on DL; Santana to concussion list|url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article/cle/indians-place-nick-swisher-on-15-day-disabled-list-carlos-santana-on-seven-day-concussion-list?ymd=20140527&content_id=77034142&vkey=news_cle|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528133218/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article/cle/indians-place-nick-swisher-on-15-day-disabled-list-carlos-santana-on-seven-day-concussion-list?ymd=20140527&content_id=77034142&vkey=news_cle|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 28, 2014|access-date=September 2, 2014|work=MLB.com|date=May 27, 2014}}

=Kansas City Royals (second stint)=

On June 2, 2014, Wood was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals.{{cite news|last1=Kaegal|first1=Dick|title=Royals get reliever Wood back on waivers|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/royals-claim-blake-wood-off-waivers-from-indians?ymd=20140602&content_id=77881812&vkey=news_mlb|access-date=September 2, 2014|work=MLB.com|date=June 2, 2014}} He was designated for assignment on September 1.{{cite news|title=Royals activate Hosmer amid series of moves|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=11448370|access-date=September 1, 2014|agency=Associated Press|work=ESPN.com|date=September 1, 2014}} Wood elected free agency in October.{{cite web|url=http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/10/players-who-have-elected-minor-league-free-agency.html|title=Players Who Have Elected Minor League Free Agency|last=Polishuk|first=Mark|work=mlbtraderumors.com|date=October 6, 2014|access-date=October 6, 2014}}

=Pittsburgh Pirates=

Wood signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 18, 2014. He was named a Triple-A All-Star with the Indianapolis Indians.

File:Blake Wood, 2015 Triple-A All-Star Game.jpg for the Indians in 2015]]

=Cincinnati Reds=

On November 20, 2015, Wood signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds. Wood would enjoy the best season of his career, appearing in 70 games with a 3.99 ERA. He was designated for assignment on August 23, 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/08/reds-designate-blake-wood-select-contract-of-alejandro-chacin.html|title = Reds Designate Blake Wood, Select Contract of Alejandro Chacin}} His 2017 season ended with a 5.65 ERA in 55 games for the Reds.

=Los Angeles Angels=

On August 25, 2017, Wood was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels. He continued for the remainder of the season in the Angels bullpen, appearing in 17 games. The Angels re-signed Wood to a one-year deal after the season.{{Cite web|url=https://halohangout.com/2017/12/01/blake-wood-resigns-la-angels/|title = Blake Wood Resigns with LA Angels|date = December 2017}} On May 29, 2018, Wood was diagnosed with a UCL tear, requiring him to miss the remainder of the season and the beginning of the 2019 season while he undergoes Tommy John surgery.