Dodgers: Julio Urias’ postseason role remains unknown

The Dodgers will start Julio Urias tonight against the Rockies. The move further clouds what Julio’s role will be in the postseason.

Tonight against the Colorado Rockies, the Dodgers will send Julio Urias out to the mound to make his seventh start of the season.  The move isn’t too surprising considering that Urias was told to work up his pitch count during his suspension to prepare to start again.  The move does further cloud what his postseason role will be.

With Dustin May currently injured and likely part of the bullpen now, the Dodgers’ rotation consists of Hyun-Jin Ryu, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Tony Gonsolin, and now Urias.  Rich Hill is working his way back after throwing another bullpen session Monday, and Kenta Maeda is now part of the bullpen going forward.

When Hill does return, which will likely be within the next two weeks, he could push either Gonsolin or Urias out of the rotation.  At some point, the Dodgers will need to move both Tony Gonsolin and Julio Urias back to the bullpen since that is likely where they will be for the postseason.  That is unless Rich Hill cannot make it back in time to be the club’s fourth playoff starter.

If Hill cannot make it back, then Julio Urias or Dustin May would likely take over the fourth starter role in the postseason.  Dustin May would make more sense since he has been ineffective in two relief outings so far while Urias has looked like Josh Hader 2.0 out of the bullpen.  The bigger question involving Urias comes if Hill does make it back as a starter.

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So far this season, Julio has not pitched back to back days out of the bullpen.  Instead, he has pitched every three to four days on average and gone multiple innings (usually two or three) out of the bullpen.  A few of those outings came towards the back end of the game in a two to three inning save type situation.

While he hasn’t pitched back to back days this season, Julio did accomplish that feat twice in the 2018 postseason.  During the NLCS, he pitched one inning in game six, and recorded one out in game seven on the stellar catch Chris Taylor made against Christian Yelich.  Urias also pitched back to back days in the World Series against the Red Sox.

While it isn’t a necessity that Urias pitches back to back days before doing so in the postseason, it would at least help the Dodgers see what he looks like in the second day of back to back appearances.  Of course this becomes a wash if he ends up the fourth postseason starter but that seems unlikely with LA expecting Hill to return.

The one known with Julio Urias is that he will be part of the postseason roster.  Barring injury, he is a lock to make the roster given his electric left arm.  What pitching role he plays in the Dodgers’ postseason run remains to be seen.