Urias is throwing hitters different variety of curve
GLENDALE, ARIZ. » Julio Urias’ curveball and slider have joined forces.
The Dodgers left-hander made the decision during the middle of the 2020 regular season to combine the two pitches into one “slurvy” breaking ball. That has continued this spring.
“I made that adjustment a little bit last year,” Urias said through an interpreter. “I kind of got rid of that overhand, 12-6 curveball, kind of made it more of a little bit of a slurve. Ever since I made that adjustment it’s been a real effective pitch for me.
“I can change it up a little bit, obviously with the spot and the location. But that is my curveball now. It’s more of a slurve instead of a traditional slider-slashoverhand curve.”
Urias’ overhand curve was thrown at a slower speed with a noticeable rise as it came out of his hand. The slurve is flatter with a late break.
“It’s the pitch that I used in the minors. It’s a pitch I was really comfortable with,” Urias said, adding that he made the adjustment after talking to coaches and the Dodgers’ catchers.
“The catchers will tell you what is an effective pitch, what’s working on any given night,” he said. “Being able to talk to them, communicate with them, it was something I was able to change to and use more effectively.”
According to Statcast, Urias’ curve was an effective pitch last season, yielding just six hits over 191 pitches. The new breaking
PITCHING REPORT: ball has less horizontal movement.
“It’s something that gets guys off the fastball. He can strike it. I like the shape of it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He can put that ball on the ground if he wants to. I like it and his changeup has really come on since the middle of last year, too.”
Urias is lined up to open the season as the Dodgers’ fourth starter behind Clayton Kershaw, Trevor Bauer and Walker Buehler. Urias and Jimmy Nelson are scheduled to pitch in a “B” game today (an off day on the Cactus League schedule) as the Dodgers continue to build up eight
— Bill Plunkett
pitchers ostensibly as starting pitchers.
“We said from the outset we wanted David (Price) to build up, we wanted Tony (Gonsolin) to build up, we wanted Walker (Buehler), Julio all these guys. I think this gives us the way to do that,” Roberts said of using Price, Urias and Nelson in “B” games this week as well as Kershaw, Gonsolin and Dustin May at other points as a means to continue to extend their pitch counts.
“Ultimately when we have to find a decision to name five starters, we’ll do that as well.”
It appears almost certain that all eight will be on the season-opening roster in one capacity or another.
And there is likely to be work for all of them in the first series of the season, a four-game set at Coors Field which taxes the depth of a visiting team’s pitching staff at any time of the season — let alone early in the year before starting pitchers have settled into the season.
Over their past 16 games at Coors Field, Dodgers starting pitchers have averaged just 4-2/3 innings per start. Only six of those 16 starters made it past the fifth inning and only one (Kershaw) saw the seventh inning.
Building Buffalo
Right-hander Brusdar Graterol could face hitters this week, likely in a live batting practice setting. But Roberts acknowledged “I don’t see him getting into a Cactus League game.”
“Anything is possible,” Roberts said. “But if we don’t see him in a Cactus League game then it’s very unlikely that he’ll break with us (on the seasonopening roster).”
Graterol arrived at spring training having done very little throwing during the offseason, putting him behind schedule in preparing for the season. Roberts has emphasized that this is a one-time situation related to Graterol’s offseason, not an injury issue or concern about Graterol’s arm. Graterol’s injury history — Tommy John surgery in 2016 and a shoulder impingement in 2019 — prompted the Boston Red Sox to back out of a trade for the right-hander as part of the deal that landed outfielder Mookie Betts with the Dodgers.