The Los Angeles Dodgers lost arguably their top pitching prospect almost exactly one year ago when Julio Urias tore the anterior capsule in his left shoulder.
Urias was expected to play a big role in the Dodgers’ rotation for years to come. He has posted a solid 3.86 ERA in 23 major league appearances and also displayed the incredible potential that evoked comparisons to famed Dodgers left-hander and fellow Mexican native, Fernando Valenzuela.
At the time of suffering his injury and undergoing season-ending surgery, Urias was projected to miss 12 to 14 months. He’s believed to still be on track to rejoin the Dodgers at some point after the 2018 All-Star break.
Although updates have been few and far between, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided an encouraging one on Urias’ delivery and progress, via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times:
“I saw some video and his delivery was clean,” said Roberts. “He looked really good. What that means as far as when he comes back, I really don’t know, but I know that Julio and the guys overseeing things in Arizona are encouraged.”
Urias is expected to throw more bullpen sessions in the near future as his velocity and workload ramps back up.
Roberts also confirmed that Urias will be built up as a starter, not a reliever. Urias has both started and pitched out of the bullpen in his career. Most notably, he threw two scoreless innings in relief and got the win in Game 5 of the 2016 National League Division Series.
The Dodgers’ injury-plagued rotation has improved as Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw all returned from the 10-day disabled list. They could be joined within the next two weeks by Walker Buehler.
Thus, there might not be room for Urias as a starter once he’s healthy and able to return. Still, Roberts and the Dodgers will likely find a way to maximize Urias’ talent down the stretch in 2018 while keeping him healthy and ready for a bigger role in the future.
