Along with Alex Wood landing on the 15-day disabled list due to left posterior elbow soreness and Julio Urias getting recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the prospect of additional changes in the rotation.
Kenta Maeda was said to still be dealing with swelling in his throwing hand after being struck by a line drive in the first inning of his start on Saturday against the New York Mets; he managed to complete five innings despite the issue.
Given that Urias was on track to start Thursday for Oklahoma City, it gave the Dodgers some flexibility and the option to push Maeda’s outing back in order to provide more time for the swelling to subside.
Rather than Urias starting on Saturday in place of Wood, the young lefty will indeed take the mound in Thursday’s four-game series finale against the Chicago Cubs, according to AM 570 LA Sports Radio DodgerTalk host David Vassegh:
Julio Urias confirms he is starting in place of Kenta Maeda tomorrow #Dodgers #Cubs
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) June 1, 2016
After Thursday, Urias will have faced the two teams that reached the 2015 National League Championship Series in his first two career Major League outings. The prized 19-year-old labored through 2.2 innings against the New York Mets at Citi Field in his debut.
Maeda is now scheduled to start Friday in the opener of a seven-game homestand, which pushes Clayton Kershaw back one day, per Andy McCullough of the LA Times:
Maeda on Friday. Kershaw on Saturday.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) June 1, 2016
The changes mean Kershaw makes a second consecutive start pitching on five days’ rest. It also puts him on track to start the series opener against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on June 10, when he’ll again pitch on one extra day of rest.
Presuming Urias does not get optioned to the Minors after Thursday’s start, he would be in line to make his Dodger Stadium debut on Tuesday, June 7, against the Colorado Rockies.
