The Los Angeles Dodgers are desperate to find pitching. On Friday, they lost one of their internal candidates for the starting rotation, as Julio Urias will miss the rest of 2017.
Heading into the 2017 campaign, the Los Angeles Dodgers appeared to be loaded with depth in their starting rotation. However, as the season progressed, injuries and ineffectiveness have left the Dodgers searching for a starting pitcher or two for their stretch run.
One potential option to come up and improve the rotation was top prospect Julio Urias. He was solid in his 18 outings for the Dodgers last season, posting a 5-2 record with a 3.39 ERA and a 1.455 WHiP, striking out 84 batters in 77 innings. However, he struggled in his time in the majors this season, with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.586 WHiP. In his 23.1 innings, Urias issued 14 walks while striking out only 11 batters.
Even with those struggles earlier in the year, Urias still appeared to be a candidate to return to the majors. He had reestablished himself in AAA, posting a 2.59 ERA and a 1.117 WHiP while striking out over a batter per inning. However, that return to the Dodgers will not happen this season, as Urias has been diagnosed with a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder.
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Not only will Urias miss the remainder of the 2017 campaign, but he will likely miss the majority of next season as well. After undergoing surgery on Tuesday, Urias will miss the next 12 to 14 months as he recovers. If he has any setbacks, this could end his 2018 season as well.
At just 20 years old, Urias' career may also be in jeopardy. This procedure is not nearly as widespread as either the commonplace Tommy John Surgery, or even the surgery to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Those players who have undergone surgery to repair their anterior capsules have had mixed results. Johan Santana's career essentially ended after his surgery. Michael Pineda missed two seasons, and is now, five years later, finally back to form. Chris Young also required surgery to correct TOS after his procedure on his torn anterior capsule.
That checkered past is what the Dodgers and Urias are up against as he will attempt to make his way back. This procedure will also make those questions of Urias' future role even louder, as there was concern that his arm would not hold up to a starting role. He certainly has the stuff to succeed if healthy, but now faces an uncertain future.
The Los Angeles Dodgers attempted to be cautious with Julio Urias, managing his innings and attempting to keep his arm healthy. However, even with those precautions, the worst possible outcome has happened.
