Dodgers: Julio Urias Likely to Come Out of Bullpen

Though there’s still no timetable for the return of Julio Urias, there’s more information regarding what to expect when the Dodgers’ 21-year-old phenom returns.

Dave Roberts said Julio Urias, nearly recovered from shoulder surgery, is a serious candidate for a bullpen role down the stretch. Urias was impressive in the role as a rookie in 2016.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) July 27, 2018

Urias underwent season-ending anterior capsule surgery on his left shoulder last June. At the time, it was reported his recovery time would be 12-14 months. As mentioned, there’s no timetable for his return, but it’s getting close.

Julio burst onto the scene in his rookie season. At the young age of 19, Urias went 5-2 with a 3.39 ERA. He had 84 strikeouts in 77 innings. It looked as if Urias was ready to establish himself into the Dodgers’ five-man rotation. The first three starts of 2017 looked very solid for the lefty. In 17 innings, Urias allowed two runs while striking out 10 batters. However, the next to starts quickly fell apart. On May 14, Urias allowed six runs in four innings at Colorado. He followed that start by allowing seven runs in 2.1 innings versus the Marlins. Something was clearly wrong. A month later, it was revealed that LA’s phenom would need surgery.

Analysis

Dodgers fans are eager to see Julio Urias return from injury. We saw his potential in 2016, and know that down the line he can eventually be a No. 1 or No. 2 kind of guy in the rotation. The last thing we need is to rush him back from injury. If he’s fully healthy, adding him to the bullpen can only bolster this already deep team. If Urias can return to his 2016 form, he can prove to be one of the more valuable relief options on this Dodgers team. Hopefully the next time we see Julio pitch, he will be 100 percent healthy.