Los Angeles Dodgers: Is Julio Urias the Answer?

Julio Urias hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 20th of 2017. With over a year-long absence from the big leagues, will he be able to regain his once bright potential, and be a part of the solution for the Los Angeles Dodgers?

The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen is lost without Kenley Jansen. In a single series, the Dodgers bullpen lost three games that, based off the starters’ performance, the Dodgers could have won.

The Rockies walked-it-off against the Dodgers two days in a row. They scored the winning run in the 7th inning or later three games in a row. Walker Buehler had the best start of his career on Saturday and it still wasn’t enough. The Dodgers brought in but a single reinforcement to aid their ailing bullpen at the deadline, but now they’ve lost their strongest reliever since Gagne and the team is out at sea with nobody to captain the 9th inning.

Could a 22-year-old who hasn’t pitched in the majors in over a year be the answer?

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Julio Urias was once a very promising prospect for these Dodgers. He was right up there with Seager, Buehler, and Bellinger on the list of names the Dodgers refused to trade. He was another light in a vividly bright farm system. He made is debut in May of 2016, at age 19. It wasn’t a strong debut, but he went on to finish the season with a sub 3.50 ERA.

Now, he’s 22 and he is waiting to rejoin a team that, in his absence, won two division titles as well as the NL pennant.

Urias has never been a closer. When the Dodgers were bringing him up, they were hoping to have him start. He did until he went down with an injury on his left shoulder at the start of last season. After a season of rehab, he was *almost* healthy enough to play when Spring Training arrived. The Dodgers opted to let him rehab his shoulder more, and make sure the velocity he had before he got injured was reestablished.

Though Urias has only pitched a total of 3 and 1/3 inning in the minors this season, his ERA stands at 2.70 and has only given up one run.

The Dodgers need more than just Urias to steady their pen. They need Kenta Maeda, and Ross Stripling, both of whom are headed there to help. 

Is Urias a closer? No, he isn’t. I don’t think anyone in that pen can replace Kenley Jansen, the only option at this point may be to hit the waiver wire. Until then, the Dodgers need to know that they can hand the ball to a reliever and be able to get out of the inning without allowing a run.

It’s not like the relievers they have just aren’t good anymore. Dylan Floro has been elite since joining the Dodgers, making him Jansen’s clear temporary replacement. He got his chance on Sunday and ended up walking in the winning run. J.T Chargois gave up a walk-off homer to Ryan McMahon in the 9th inning the evening before.

Roberts took Scott Alexander out too early on Saturday, he left Dylan Floro in too long on Sunday.

This is the situation the Dodgers are facing. Without a bona fide closer, without a proven closer, they are walking into the late-innings lost, and fans are watching, feeling more worried than ever before.

August and the first half of September, now known as the time in which Jansen be on the DL,  are going to make or break the Dodgers’ postseason hopes. These weeks will show the strengths or the weaknesses of this team.

Julio Urias may be this team’s answer, he may not be. Either way, the Los Angeles Dodgers can’t afford to ignore the question entirely.