Dodgers designate Bud Norris to make room for Alex Wood

As part of the roster move necessary for activating pitcher Alex Wood from the disabled list, the Dodgers designated pitcher Bud Norris for assignment before Tuesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.

Wood will audition for a spot on the postseason roster as a reliever. He has not pitched since May because of elbow surgery.

Acquired in June, days after Clayton Kershaw was diagnosed with a herniated disk, Norris had his role with the team fade into irregular usage in the last few weeks. The team scheduled him to start Saturday in Arizona, but scratched him in favor of rookie Brock Stewart the day before the game.

“It was going to be tough to find opportunities for him to pitch,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “He came over in a situation where we were in a tough spot, with Clayton being down. Our pitching was in flux. He pitched well for us, and then an injury got in the way, and it was a battle for him.”

Norris had a 4.34 earned-run average in seven outings. But he left a start on July 31 because of tightness in his back after recording only one out. In his next six appearances, he surrendered 18 runs in 13 2/3 innings.

The Dodgers chose to cut Norris rather than put Brandon McCarthy (hip stiffness) on the 60-day disabled list. McCarthy pitched in a simulated game Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. He could be activated during the final week of the season.

Brett Anderson is ready for the Rockies

Brett Anderson will make his third start of the season Thursday, against Colorado. Anderson had been nursing a blister on his left hand, and made a rehabilitation start for triple-A Oklahoma City last weekend. Anderson sat out most of the season after undergoing back surgery in March.

Neither of Anderson’s two starts went particularly well. In his debut on Aug. 14, he gave up five runs in the first inning and left because of a wrist injury. In his next outing, he gave up six runs in three innings and left because of the blister.

andy.mccullough@latimes.com

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