Dodgers: Julio Urias is slowly establishing himself as long-term rotation piece

It seems like it’s beginning to all come together for Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias.

Could we finally see the left-hander truly become a full-time starter in 2021? Fans thought that would be his trajectory in 2020, but he was used as a bullpen weapon when the postseason arrived.

Then, after an offseason in which David Price returned to the team (after opting out last year) and Trevor Bauer was added to the rotation, Urias managed to break camp as one of the main arms set to pitch every fifth day. Price took on a bullpen role given his limited usage since the start of 2019.

But that’s opened the door for Urias to build off of his promising 2020 and potentially run away with a full-time rotation job. His outing on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners was another step in that direction.

The crafty lefty utilized his lethal curveball and changeup to record a career-high 11 strikeouts against the division-leading M’s, who have the seventh most RBI in MLB through their first 17 games. It was a great rebound start after Urias had allowed 16 hits and seven earned runs in his previous 11.2 innings against the Nationals and Rockies.

His second quality start of the year also featured another one in which he was efficient with his pitch count. He had 88 through seven innings on Tuesday and 79 through seven in his season debut against Colorado. His previous two trips to the mound featured 90 and 95 in six and 5.2 innings. At the very least, he’s also building up his arm strength to become a mainstay in the rotation.

When you look at the Dodgers as currently constructed, you have to figure Bauer and Kershaw probably won’t be around for much longer. Bauer signed a short-term deal with hopes of the Dodgers maximizing his prime and taking home another title while Kershaw is 33 years old and breaking down a bit from a physical standpoint.

Walker Buehler is the ace of the future, there’s no question about that. The organization no doubt likes Dustin May’s potential, but he still has to prove himself over the a larger body of work.

Urias, at just 24 years old, could turn out to be that stabilizing No. 2 behind Buehler for years to come, which helps the team’s future plans come into focus a bit better. The lefty is already a battle-tested postseason arm. All that’s left is a full season of starts to show that he can come off his usual role as a hybrid pitcher.

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