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"When I went to take him out, (catcher Luke) Carlin was coming and I told him to stay back there a little bit," manager Terry Francona said. "I went out there and asked (Wood) if he ever made the team on the mound? He was like no. I go 'well, you just did.' After that we came and talked to him the dugout but you could tell he was pretty excited."
Francona and general manager Chris Antonetti were planning on telling Wood that he made the roster the next morning but bullpen coach Kevin Cash told him that there was some anxiety from Wood and a couple others. Francona, who rarely takes his cell phone to the field but did in this case because there were a lot of moving parts to the roster, called Antonetti, who was watching the minor-league games, and asked if it was OK to tell Wood that he made it.
"Just coming back from what I did and making the Opening Day roster is really fulfilling. It has given me perspective on a lot of things," Wood said.
Two years ago, Wood didn't even know if he would be pitching again. He underwent Tommy John Surgery on his right elbow on May 25, 2012. The Indians claimed him off waivers from Kansas City five months later.
The Indians had seen plenty of Wood both at the major- and minor-league levels to think that he was worth the risk of claiming, even five months removed from Tommy John.
Francona and general manager Chris Antonetti were planning on telling Wood that he made the roster the next morning but bullpen coach Kevin Cash told him that there was some anxiety from Wood and a couple others. Francona, who rarely takes his cell phone to the field but did in this case because there were a lot of moving parts to the roster, called Antonetti, who was watching the minor-league games, and asked if it was OK to tell Wood that he made it.
"Just coming back from what I did and making the Opening Day roster is really fulfilling. It has given me perspective on a lot of things," Wood said.
Two years ago, Wood didn't even know if he would be pitching again. He underwent Tommy John Surgery on his right elbow on May 25, 2012. The Indians claimed him off waivers from Kansas City five months later.
The Indians had seen plenty of Wood both at the major- and minor-league levels to think that he was worth the risk of claiming, even five months removed from Tommy John.
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