One thing I will never understand is the Angels' handling of Brandon Wood, not only this year, but over the last couple years. Let's recap Wood's season to date:
4/21 – Wood is killing the ball in Triple-A and gets recalled with Vlad Guerrero hurt.
5/6 – Wood gets all of 10 plate appearances (3-for-9, BB) and gets sent to Triple-A.
Last year:
4/28 – Wood recalled from Triple-A.
5/12 – Wood actually gets 26 at-bats, but hits just .154 before being sent down.
5/21 – Wood recalled from Triple-A.
6/12 – Wood sent back to Triple-A after going 4-for-35.
June/July – Wood seems to "figure things things out", finishing with a .970 OPS in AAA before getting recalled on…
8/29 – Wood gets 72 at-bats in September but hits just .236.
2007: Wood gets called up three separate times and gets just 33 at-bats with the Angels.
Let's face it, Wood at age 24 doesn't need further minor league seasoning. He's batting .346/.433/.927 (yes, the SLG is correct) so far in Triple-A, but the Angels would rather continue playing Howie Kendrick (.273 OBP, 21:2 K:BB) and Erick Aybar (.308 OBP, 0 HR, 2 BB in 61 at-bats) up the middle. Chone Figgins also has no home runs, though you can understand keeping him around for his speed and more importantly, his ability to get on base (.378 OBP). Still, with Vlad Guerrero out and no one besides Mike Napoli and Torri Hunter (ok, perhaps Morales) being much of a power threat, it seems between SS, 3B, and DH that Mike Scioscia could find ways to get Wood's bat in the lineup.
I have to wonder if there's some organizational dissent (Reagins v. Scioscia) here on Wood. Nothing else makes much sense.