Urias sent to Oklahoma City
The Dodgers built their pitching depth by collecting players with a history of injuries. Did those health concerns prevent the team from properly preparing Julio Urias for this season?
The Dodgers demoted Urias to triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, hours after he failed to survive the third inning of his latest start.
He is 0-2 with a 5.40 earned-run average in five starts, and he has walked more batters than he has struck out. Of the last 36 batters he has faced, he has given up 14 hits and struck out one.
The Dodgers deferred Urias’ start to the season, conserving his pitches to protect his precocious 20year-old arm. But, because they did not know how many of their veteran starters would be ready for opening day, they had to give him a few innings in spring training in case they needed him sooner than they would have liked.
“The anticipation was, back off four or five starts and let his season begin,” Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said. “But we had to also be where he could turn up the volume and possibly be ready the first or second week of the season.”
As it turned out, Brandon McCarthy and HyunJin Ryu both were ready for the opener, even if Scott Kazmir was not. By then, however, Urias had made five Cactus League appearances, only one for more than 16 pitches.
The Dodgers then shut him down for 12 days, followed by three starts at Oklahoma City — for 79, 73 and 93 pitches, respectively — and then five starts in the major leagues. But those eight starts all came on regular rest, so manager Dave Roberts did not agree with the notion that the irregular competition might help explain Urias’ struggles this season.
“I think that there might be a case, but he’s had five starts here, with consistency,” Roberts said. “His season started late. But, if you look at the buildup, wherever it is, whether it’s in the major leagues or at Oklahoma City, he had starts on a regular schedule. For him to not have the consistency in his breaking ball, leaving the changeup, the fastball command, I don’t see that as a reason why. I really don’t.
“The inconsistency of hitting his location has, unfortunately, been consistent.”
Now pitching: Eibner?
The Dodgers manage their roster with a short bench and a surplus of creativity. The player who has pinch-run most often this season is pitcher Ross Stripling.
So it should come as little surprise that the Dodgers are experimenting with outfielder Brett Eibner as a pitcher. He played the outfield and pitched at the University of Arkansas from 2008-10, so he would be working on seven years’ rest.
“I’m also 25 pounds heavier, so we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Short hops
Logan Forsythe had an extended workout Sunday at third base, where he will get what Roberts said would be “the lion’s share” of playing time when the Dodgers activate him Tuesday. Chris Taylor and Chase Utley will share time at second base until the injured Justin Turner can reclaim third base and Forsythe can return to second. … Former Dodgers closer Eric Gagne is ending his comeback attempt after posting a 12.27 ERA in five games for the independent Long Island Ducks. Gagne, 41, the 2003 National League Cy Young Award winner, had not pitched in the majors since 2008.