With three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation has had a lot of moving parts over recent weeks as the team exhausts all options for October.
Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler and Hyun-Jin Ryu are essentially locks for the first three spots. A season’s worth of strong performances has given way to struggles of late, which has led to some concern and the Dodgers making changes to provide them with extra rest.
It appeared as Julio Urias was a candidate for the fourth spot in the rotation after shifting to a plan to stretch out as a starter during his recent suspension. Urias has made two starts since returning from the restricted list.
He only threw a combined five innings in those starts, though, and no longer appears to be an option to start in October.
After Urias went just two innings against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the young lefty is moving back to the bullpen and will be available in relief during this week’s series against the Baltimore Orioles, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“Julio, we were going to get two or three (innings) out of him. I think they were kind of on the soft stuff today, and he and Russ did a nice job getting through that first inning. In the second inning I thought the slider was really good, fastball and changeup were good. To get him back in the ‘pen for the Baltimore series is our plan.”
Urias struggled through his outing against the Giants a bit as he was forced to throw 42 pitches in two innings. He allowed three hits but did not give up any runs and struck out four without issuing any walks.
The left-hander has been a dominant force out of the bullpen for the Dodgers for most of the season though so it makes sense that they want to keep him in that role.
If Urias is no longer a candidate to start during to postseason, then Rich Hill has to be considered the favorite to earn that spot. He will be returning from the injured list and starting Thursday’s game against the Orioles, which should give Hill enough time to get built up before the start of the playoffs.
Rookies Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin are also candidates to start. Though, they may be better off helping aid the bullpen along with Urias and Kenta Maeda.
Urias has served as a multiple-inning reliever for most of the season, pitching every three or four days.
