The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without Julio Urías since May 20 when he was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.
The initial hope was the injury would only keep Urías out for the minimum 15-day stint, but his return was delayed by lingering soreness.
Recently, Urías showed improvement, which led to him throwing bullpen sessions and a simulated game that he came out of well, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
The plan was for Urías to return against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, but that is no longer the case as the injury is still lingering after his last bullpen session, Roberts said via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
Julio Urías won’t start Sunday as planned, Dave Roberts said. Didn’t feel 100 percent after his bullpen yesterday. They’ll taxi someone and effectively run a bullpen game on Sunday — Gavin Stone isn’t an option this turn through, Roberts said.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) June 9, 2023
The Dodgers did not want to bring Urías back until he was 100% healthy, and this decision backs up that mindset, especially with the team currently short on starting pitchers. The club recently placed Noah Syndergaard on the IL, giving them just four starters in their rotation.
L.A. has a day off on Monday, along with three more days off during June, so that should help them navigate their pitching staff and utilize bullpen games if needed.
Urías last pitched in the Dodgers’ series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 18 at Busch Stadium when he gave up six runs on six hits over just three innings. The southpaw allowed four homers during the outing, including three consecutive blasts in his final inning.
Urías is 5-4 with a 4.39 ERA, 5.32 FIP and 1.16 WHIP in 10 starts this season. He will need to get back on track as he is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
Dodgers Sunday pitching replacement options for Julio Urías
With only four starters, the Dodgers are currently running with a nine-man bullpen and multiple relievers who can pitch two innings. That means they don’t necessarily need to make a change in their pen, but adding a reliever who can go at least a few innings would make sense to avoid burning out the staff.
The favorite to fill that role would likely be Andre Jackson as he is already on the 40-man roster and has experience pitching multiple innings in relief. The newly-acquired Ricky Vanasco is also on the 40-man and has worked as a starting pitcher, so he could be an option as well.
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