Urías vying to be Brewers shortstop
Luis Urías stopped short of putting bubble wrap around him to stay safe but for the first time in many years he opted not to play winter ball in his native Mexico.
“I would say (staying healthy was) the first, main reason not to play,” said Urías, a versatile infielder acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers in a four-player trade just after Thanksgiving in 2019.
“I love to play baseball, I love to play in Mexico but I didn’t want to risk anything to get hurt again.”
Urías suffered a fractured hamate bone at the base of his left hand during winter ball in Mexico in January 2020 and was unable to play during the first month of his first spring camp with the Brewers. Just as he was cleared to take the field, the burgeoning coronavirus pandemic shut everything down until July.
When Urias reported to summer camp in Milwaukee, he tested positive for the virus and was placed on the COVID-19 inactive list. He finally played his first game for the Brewers on Aug. 10 but by then the original plan of getting a chance to be the regular shortstop was scrapped, partly because incumbent Orlando Arcia was playing well.
Instead, Urías saw most of his action at third base and never got settled in at the plate, batting .239 in 120 plate appearances with no home runs and 11 RBI. He went home and focused on getting stronger while fighting the urge to play for the Yaquis de Obregon as in the past.
It has been back to the drawing board this spring with Urías getting the opportunity to take the shortstop job
away from Arcia, or at the very least share it.
“Obviously, really happy and really excited,” Urías said of that opportunity. “One of my first goals in the offseason was to stay healthy and show up for spring training 100% to play baseball and help the team."
Of the mostly miserable experience last season, Urías said, “It was kind of frustrating because last year was my first year coming to the Brewers and, obviously, I wanted to make my best impression to the fans and the team.
“I want to prove something — that I can really play. But that's more for myself, you know? I'm always trying to get better, trying to be a better teammate, a better player and it's more like a goal for me. I don't feel a lot of pressure.
“But that's not an excuse. The things that happened in 2020 are not an excuse. I can do a lot better and hopefully this year everything comes back to normal, and hopefully I'll be able to do what I can.”
So, what did Urías do all winter with no games to play?
He traveled back and forth from Mexico to the Brewers' training complex in Phoenix, where he put on several pounds of muscle to be in peak condition for camp.
“I was working out, trying to get some weight (on) because last year I felt at some points during the season I was skinny and a little bit weak,” he explained. “So, this offseason I was focused on gaining weight and getting stronger.”
Assuming either Urías or Arcia will claim the lion's share of playing time at shortstop — the other could see action at third base but Travis Shaw and Daniel Robertson are in the picture there — that competition is one of the compelling storylines of camp. But Urías said he's not approaching it as a winnertake-all proposition.
“I don't see it that way,” he said. “I think every year's going to be competition between every player to earn a spot. I just want to go out there, have fun, play hard and always help the team try to win.
“I think (Arcia) is one of the greatest shortstops that I've ever seen. It's been five years he's been playing that position and I've learned a lot from him. Last year I was playing a lot of games at third base, and it was really fun to play next to him.”
As for what he hopes to accomplish at the plate this spring, Urías said, "Just being more consistent. I think that's the greatest part about hitting, because I think everybody can do it for two weeks, a month or whatever. But the thing is doing it for the whole season, trying to be consistent."
Urías was considered more of a second-base prospect with the Padres but the Brewers obviously think he can be an everyday shortstop in the majors. And he's certainly going to get every chance this spring to prove correct that assessment, as manager Craig Counsell told him in a one-on-one meeting at the outset of camp.
“He told me they wanted to take a look at me at short, how can I play it and how do I react?” Urías said. “Obviously, I was really happy for the opportunity, and hopefully I can do my best.”
And what would it mean for Urías to see his name on the Opening Day lineup card at shortstop?
“That would be awesome, like a dream come true,” he said. “But I'm just going to work hard and compete and play the game.”