The Los Angeles Dodgers are calling up pitcher Julio Urias to make his MLB debut Friday against the New York Mets, the team announced Thursday.
Urias will step in for Alex Wood, whose start has been pushed back to Monday due to left triceps soreness, per Jon Weisman of Dodger Insider.
Weisman noted that Urias, at 19 years and 289 days old, will be “the youngest Major League pitcher since Felix Hernandez’s 2005 season with Seattle, the youngest Dodger pitcher since Fernando Valenzuela made his debut as a reliever in 1980 and the youngest Dodger starting pitcher since Dick Calmus on August 23, 1963.”
Urias has been excellent at Triple-A Oklahoma City, going 4-1 with a 1.10 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 41 innings this season. According to MLB Pipeline, he is the top left-handed pitching prospect in baseball and both the No. 2 pitcher and player overall.
He hasn’t given up a run in 27 straight innings in Triple-A ball, according to Weisman.
While Urias will earn the start Friday, of MLB.com believes the team will ultimately move him to the bullpen this season “to limit his innings,” noting that he’s never exceeded 87.2 innings pitched in his previous three professional seasons.
Urias is considered the Dodgers’ best pitching prospect since Clayton Kershaw. Moving him along slowly and not pushing his innings this season is a wise move, making his transition to a relief role inevitable. Even in limited innings, Urias will have the chance to prove the hype is justified and that he can be a dominant starter in the years to come.
He may also improve, at least temporarily, a starting pitching staff that has been touch-and-go behind Kershaw this season.
You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com