Over recent seasons the Los Angeles Dodgers’ pool of prospects has been headlined by Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Julio Urias. Pederson was the first of the trio to reach the Majors, with Seager joining him in 2015, and Urias widely expected to this season.
The Dodgers’ handling of Pederson and Seager followed a similar blue print — they were called up when rosters expanded in September, then given a full workload the following season. General consensus held the same would be true for Urias.
However, the Dodgers’ rotation and bullpen struggles led to the club holding discussions earlier this month centered around promoting their prized left-hander from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
There hasn’t been any indication when, or if, that may still take place. However, Urias remains focused on making his Major League debut this season, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times:
In a phone interview this week, Urias said he didn’t know what the Dodgers have planned for him. “But in my mind, it’s the same,” he said in Spanish. “My mind is on Los Angeles.”
Although Urias projects as a starter, the quickest path to the Dodgers’ active roster is by way of their bullpen. Urias has dominated in what’s been his most extensive experience at the Triple-A level.
In eight games (seven starts) with the Oklahoma City Dodgers, the 19 year old is 4-1, and leads the Pacific Coast League with a 1.10 ERA and 0.78 WHIP. Urias has 44 strikeouts to eight walks over 41 innings pitched, and currently owns a streak of 27 consecutive scoreless innings.
Oklahoma City pitching coach Matt Herges said recently Urias checked off the areas of improvement set before him and believes the young lefty is ready for Major-League action. Urias is scheduled for a home start on Friday night against the Salt Lake Bees.
