Dodgers: Big question mark surrounds Julio Urias despite lights-out start to 2021

Perhaps we’re thinking a little bit too far down the road, but Los Angeles Dodgers fans probably should be since the end goal is a World Series, right?

In the case of Julio Urias, most of the discourse surrounds his unbelievable start to the 2021 season.

When he cracked the rotation coming out of spring training, it’s safe to say even the most optimistic of fans maybe didn’t project this as a best-case scenario.

The young left-hander is 7-1 with a 3.03 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 10 starts (62.1 innings). Six quality starts on the year. Three with double-digit strikeouts.

His masterful showing in the first two months has very much helped ease the pain from the loss of Dustin May.

However, we must ask, how much longer can this continue?

What is the Dodgers’ plan with Julio Urias?

In no world are we saying Urias is due to come crashing back down to earth. He’s flashed this potential in previous seasons, and it all came together when he closed out the World Series in October.

The only problem? Longevity. Can he last as a starter for the remainder of the 2021 season? He’s never been a full-time member of the rotation from April-October. He’s been bounced around as a starter and a reliever. He’s never eclipsed 80 innings in a single big league campaign. See for yourself.

• 2016: 18 games (15 starts), totaling 77 innings
• 2017: 5 games (5 starts), totaling 23.1 innings
• 2018: 3 games (0 starts), totaling 4 innings
• 2019: 37 games (8 starts), totaling 79.2 innings
• 2020: 11 games (10 starts, totaling 55 innings

If we look back on his minor-league career, his greatest usage came in 2014 when he appeared in 25 games (20 starts) for High-A and totaled 87.2 innings. The year after? 18 starts totaling 80.1 innings.

Is there a plan to max out Urias at a number of starts, throw him back in the bullpen, and then acquire another starter before the trade deadline? That wouldn’t be crazy. Urias is still only 24 years old and it’s hard to believe the Dodgers are going to push him to make 25-plus starts, especially after the shortened 2020.

By all means, enjoy this unforeseen run. Urias has been incredible and it’s made the Dodgers’ rotation even more dominant. But do keep his innings count in the back of your mind, because at some point it’s quite possible there’s a shift in strategy and he’s either reined in or no longer starting games.

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