Julio Urias’ impressive 27-inning scoreless streak at triple-A Oklahoma City was put on hold for a very compelling reason—the Dodgers’ 19-year-old pitching phenom will make his major league debut Friday night against the New York Mets in Citi Field.
The club announced Thursday morning that left-hander Alex Wood was scratched from Friday night’s start because of left triceps soreness and that Urias was expected to be recalled from triple-A to pitch. Wood is scheduled to make his next start Monday in Chicago against the Cubs.
Urias, rated as the top pitching prospect in the game by Baseball America, is 4-1 with a 1.10 earned-run average in eight games, seven of them starts, for Oklahoma City, striking out 44 and walking eight in 41 innings. He has not thrown more than six innings or 82 pitches in any of his starts.
Armed with a fastball that ranges from 91 to 96 mph, a big breaking ball that can buckle the knees of opposing hitters, a fading changeup and an advanced feel for pitching, Urias has drawn comparisons to David Price.
“It’s been in Ohio as early as the mid-1850s at least, brought in as an ornamental plant because of its unique foliage and white flowers,” Gardner said. “It was actually planted in people’s landscaping, and it has been spreading.”
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