Tigers pitcher Travis Wood nearly lost a finger in a crossbow accident
Travis Wood is hoping to earn a roster spot with the Detroit Tigers after signing a minor league deal with the club last month.
But first, he needs to be healthy enough to catch a baseball.
You see, Wood, who spent the 2017 season with the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres after winning a World Series ring with the Chicago Cubs in 2016, recently injured his right index finger in an accident involving a crossbow. When he reported to spring training, the lefthander wasn’t able to wear a glove.
With this grisly image, you’ll understand why:
This is Travis Wood’s finger. He got an x-ray this morning. Finding out later today if he can take the pin out. If so, he can ditch the splint and resume wearing the glove. pic.twitter.com/H9KKokqtwa
— Katie Strang (@KatieJStrang) February 16, 2018
Yeah, that’s a pin in Wood’s finger. Once it’s removed, he’ll be able to resume catching like the rest of his teammates. For now, per MLive.com, he’s had a teammate by his side during bullpen sessions to hand him the ball after he delivers a pitch.
So how did he manage to mangle his finger like that? From MLive.com:
Wood was in the backyard of his home in Arkansas, preparing the bow for a deer-hunting trip with his 7-year-old son (who, thankfully, was at school at the time).
“When I went to put the arrow in, it just went off when it wasn’t supposed to. The string went through the finger,” Wood said. “It was broken in two places and almost went all the way through.”
Ouch. It’s good thing he’s left handed, huh? Otherwise his career might have come to an end with the accident.
At 31, Wood is hoping to latch on with Detroit at the big league level either as a starter or reliever. He’s excelled in both roles over the course of his career, but the 2017 season was a rough one. He signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Royals, but was shipped off to San Diego after posting a career-worst 6.91 earned run average over 28 appearances (three starts).
Things didn’t get much better with a change of scenery. Wood started 11 games for the Padres and went 3-4 with a 6.71 ERA.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
