Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías in 2023. Photo by Ashley Landis via AP Photo
The saga involving MLB pitcher Julio Urías has only gotten worse.
The Los Angeles Dodger officially will not be returning this season, the team has announced. After being arrested on September 3 following a fight with his wife, he was charged with domestic violence. The MLB placed him on administrative leave after they became aware of the situation.
Further Turmoil
On Wednesday, the Dodgers replaced Julio Urías Bobblehead Night, which was originally scheduled for September 21, with another bobblehead promotion. And last night, the Dodgers officially replaced him on the roster, activating rookie pitcher Ryan Pepiot. Pepiot previously appeared for the Dodgers this season, albeit briefly, posting a 1.29 ERA in three starts.
Urías, who posted an 11-8 record with a 4.60 ERA this season, will almost certainly not return this season. The Dodgers are already short on starting pitching, as they have also put out an official statement regarding RHP Walker Buehler.
On September 8, the team released an official statement that Buehler wouldn’t return this season. His efforts in recovering from Tommy John surgery continue. Both pitchers will also be ineligible for the postseason roster should the Dodgers get there—which is looking all but certain.
The Statement
“Today, the Dodgers are announcing that right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, will not return during the 2023 season, with an eye toward coming back at the start of the 2024 campaign,” the official statement reads.
“After many conversations with my doctor, the Dodgers’ front office, training staff and my family, we concluded that waiting until next season is the right course of action,” Buehler wrote via a statement. “I am disappointed that I will not be able to help this team go after a title in the 2023 postseason, but I look forward to returning fully healthy in 2024 and bringing another World Series to L.A.”
Dodger Disappointment
Buehler was initially viewed as a key piece who would be returning to the Dodgers’ rotation this September. The goal was to utilize him and Urías as punches in the postseason rotation. However, with Urías’ arrest and setbacks in Buehler’s recovery process, those plans have been shelved as the two 2020 World Series champions will be unavailable.
The Dodgers will have to piece together a rotation for games down the stretch and into the postseason. That has not been a problem for them in recent years, and it most likely will not be this season. The team looks to keep their impressive postseason appearance streak alive.
