The Los Angeles Dodgers kept limitations on Julio Urias this spring but otherwise intended to allow for the organization’s top young pitcher to assume a larger role than he did last season.
Urias remained in extended Spring Training and made his 2017 debut with Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to joining the Dodgers in late April. Manager Dave Roberts said the club intended to keep Urias in the rotation for the remainder of the season.
One month later, he was optioned back to Oklahoma City after a string of inconsistent performances. A start for OKC on June 10 wound up being Urias’ final time pitching this year.
He was shut down due to shoulder inflammation, which didn’t subside and led to further testing. Urias ultimately underwent season-ending anterior capsule surgery on his throwing shoulder.
The Dodgers projected the 21-year-old to miss 12-14 months and make a full recovery from what was described as an “acute injury.” According to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group, the young lefty may begin his throwing program by the end of October:
Urias met with Dodgers officials last month to plot the road ahead in his recovery. He is currently working out and receiving physical therapy at the Dodgers’ training complex in Arizona. Urias said he was told he could be able to begin a throwing program “possibly” 4-4-1/2 months after the surgery – a timetable that puts it in late October or early November – and pegged his eventual return at 14 months.
That Urias might not return until the tailend of his timeline is hardly a surprise. The Dodgers routinely err on the side caution with him and other players in the organization. The longer recovery also suggests Urias would need to return as a reliever next season if he wished to make an impact.
Over time with the Dodgers and Oklahoma City this season, Urias threw a combined 54.2 innings. That was was his lowest total since throwing 54.1 over 18 starts with Low-A Great Lakes in his first professional season in 2013.
