With word Alex Wood is headed to Triple-A Gwinnett to be stretched out (or re-stretched out) as a starter, those who waited patiently for his return to the starting rotation can now look forward to their reward.
And those who play in a league where he was dropped can now claim someone else's.
Wood, remember, looked like one of this season's biggest breakouts at starting pitcher in April, compiling a 1.54 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings in his first five starts. The problem was he pitched seven innings or more in four of them, which wouldn't have been a problem at all if Wood hadn't spent much of last season in the bullpen, accumulating just 143 innings between the majors, minors and postseason.
The Braves had to slow him down, so after he made a couple more starts (both five innings, but only one bad), they sent him to the bullpen. Aaron Harang had earned a longer look in the starting rotation, and they were short on relievers anyway. It was never meant to be a permanent arrangement, though, and now that Harang has established something in the way of trade value, the Braves are preparing to get Wood back where he belongs.
So should you, particularly in Head-to-Head points leagues. As SPARPs (starting pitchers with relief pitcher eligibility) go, Wood is more Garrett Richards than Jesse Chavez.