Still facing an innings limit, Julio Urias wasn’t expected to be with the Los Angeles Dodgers come Opening Day of the 2019 MLB season. But a strong showing in Spring Training, coupled with injuries to Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill, didn’t create an opportunity but a need for Urias.
He began in the starting rotation, and remained there perhaps longer than the Dodgers initially planned for, but now is filling a role out of the bullpen. In moving their young lefty out of the rotation, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Urias would be used somewhat unconventionally.
Each of Urias’ first two relief appearances were two innings; he then went two-thirds of an inning before allowing a walk-off single to Buster Posey, and completed a scoreless ninth to convert the first save opportunity of his career.
Urias was needed to close against the Atlanta Braves due to Kenley Jansen being unavailable after pitching three straight days. Although the Dodgers have made it clear they envision Urias as a starter, his ability to handle various roles is nonetheless intriguing.
“With Julio, he’s special in the sense that he’s able to get lefties and righties out. He’s different in the sense that I don’t envision him pitching one inning when he does come into a baseball game,” Roberts said.
“So now you’re looking at a two- or three-inning stint, and after that kind of seeing where we want to go with his recovery. I think with Julio, there’s a window of when we can use him.”
There are parallels to how the Tampa Bay Rays deployed David Price as a rookie down the stretch in 2008 and into the postseason. Price made two starts during the regular season and pitched three times out of the bullpen. He made an additional five relief appearances in the playoffs.
Roberts acknowledged the Dodgers are open to using Urias in a similar role, but remain cautious of changing course yet again. “We have to be sensitive to changing roles for Julio, which I think we’re really mindful of,” Roberts noted.
“But as the summer goes on and we expect him to pitch well, the more the setup as in a two-plus situation, the ability to have him built up is huge value for him and us as an organization.
“The idea of using him and not be able to go back to him for four days, that’s something we probably want to stay away from. I can see something like that (Urias filling a role similar to Price). To have a guy like Julio, to where you feel he can finish a game, that’s a good thing.”
With the unique situation the Dodgers find themselves in with Urias, it’s lent to identifying a stretch of days where he is available. “It’s unrealistic to predetermine he’s going to pitch on a set day,” Roberts said.
“I think if you can have a two- or three-day window where you can use him, that helps him, that helps the other guys in the ‘pen as well.”
Thus far, Urias has made three relief appearances on four days rest and one on two days between pitching.
