Dodgers Lay Out Next Steps for Julio Urias’ Return

The Dodgers experienced a setback with Julio Urias last week in Cincinnati. The pitcher’s plan to come off the injured list to start Sunday’s contest was scrapped after he experienced residual soreness in his barking left hamstring. As of now, there’s no return date circled in pencil for the Dodgers. However, there is a game plan.

#Dodgers Dave Roberts said he expects Julio Urias to throw one, maybe two bullpen sessions during the homestand starting Tuesday. Rehab assignment will follow at some point.

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— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 11, 2023

Two bullpen sessions and a rehab start push Julio’s return toward the end of June, depending on how many minor league starts he needs to make. At this point, the left-hander has been out for nearly a month since exiting after just 3+ innings in St. Louis. When he did hit the IL, he was in the midst of his worst season since he was a 20-year-old pitching with a bad shoulder. After allowing 6 runs in that last start to St. Louis, his ERA ballooned up to 4.39 over 10 starts this season — a far cry from the combined 2.57 ERA he had from the previous two seasons.

As Urias faltered, so did the Dodgers who are 9-13 since that game.

The Dodgers need that anchor back in the rotation as soon as possible. Instability in the rotation has been a big cause of LA’s struggles of late. Outside of Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, and Bobby Miller, the starting rotation has failed to pitch deeper into games which has led to overuse and issues in the bullpen.

The boys will look to get right after a 2-4 road trip by welcoming the 29-38 White Sox to Dodger Stadium for three games. The Sox are playing a bit better than their record would indicate, winning 6 of 9 games so far in the month of June.