The Dodgers announced they’ve activated Julio Urías from the 10-day injured list. He’ll get the ball for this evening’s game against the Padres. To open active roster space, reliever Neftalí Féliz was designated for assignment. The move also opens a spot on Los Angeles’ 40-man roster, which now sits at 39.
Urías missed the minimal ten days after landing on the IL with a left calf contusion. The IL stint only cost Urías one start and served as a brief breather for the 25-year-old, who has already worked a career-high 139 2/3 innings this season. The left-hander has been excellent, posting a 3.29 ERA with an above-average 26.4% strikeout rate and a tiny 5.3% walk percentage.
That kind of reliability has been critical for a Dodgers rotation that has dealt with its share of injuries. Most notably, Clayton Kershaw has been out since July 7 with forearm inflammation. Kershaw threw a 20-pitch bullpen session consisting of only fastballs today, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). That’s obviously progress, but Roberts later acknowledged there’s some uncertainty about whether the three-time Cy Young Award winner would have enough time to build back arm strength to shoulder a traditional starting pitcher’s workload for the remainder of the season (via Juan Toribio of MLB.com).
Urías’ return to the roster could end Féliz’s Dodger tenure after a single appearance. The former Rangers’ closer was selected to the big league roster last week and pitched for the first time on Sunday against the Mets. He tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout but will now find himself on waivers in the coming days. Féliz has been excellent this season at the Triple-A level, combining for a 2.45 ERA with a huge 38.8% strikeout rate and an average 9.7% walk percentage between the Phillies’ and Dodgers’ top affiliates.
