Dodgers News: Lee or Urias Will Start on Friday
Youngsters are the name of the game as far as the Los Angeles Dodgers are concerned, and two of them are right-hander Zach Lee and left-hander Julio Urias. While Urias is the more heralded commodity at this point, Lee still holds some value within the organization. Both will pitch on Friday.
There’s still no word yet on which one will actually start the game, but it sounds like both of them will actually pitch in the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and that’s about all you can ask for at this point. Especially with Urias hoping to be an integral part of the team’s future success.
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From J.P. Hoornstra, a beat writer for the team at the Los Angeles Times:
Dave Roberts said he'll decide today whether Zach Lee or Julio Urias starts Friday against the Angels. Both will pitch at some point.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) March 10, 2016
As stated, no decision has been made about who will in fact start the game. And that’s fine for right now. While being named the starter for a Spring Training game would be pretty cool for a pitcher, you still have to remember that just getting the work in at all is the bigger deal.
Julio Urias is obviously the guy that fans want to see get the start and get the fifth starter job the most, but Zach Lee might be the more suitable option at this point due to being older and having already made it to the Majors. Despite a lackluster couple of innings last year, Lee still has potential.
Lee could be a valuable innings eater and strike-thrower who does his job solidly enough to give the team a decent amount of overall value. Nothing wrong with any of that. Both, as noted, will pitch at some point in the game it sounds like. That’s a plus. Team has to see what they have in them now.
The battle for the fifth spot will certainly be an interesting one to watch during the spring, and the winner of that spot might not have it all that long. Still, the work is what is important for the youngsters, and the team needs to see them progress enough to give them the job.
While I would agree that Urias has far and away the most value long term, I do not believe his time is now. He still has not pitched past 87.2 innings during a season. I do not know if Zach Lee is the answer for #5, but he has at least earned the chance to try. He pitched well against the Giants in his first start last week, and should get the start again against the Angels. Urias and De Leon will be a great #1 and #2 at OKC. They both need to taste success at AAA, before they are called up.
If Lee does not impress enough to get the #5, Bolsinger is the safe choice, as he was successful last year in that role. Ross Stripling is another possibility as he was De Leon before De Leon. It has been 2 years since his TJ surgery, and he had a good outing his first time out. Chris Anderson had a second successful outing today, and may get some consideration. Brandon Beachy needs to prove that he can pitch healthy, but if can resemble anything similar to the pitcher he was with ATL, he would also warrant a consideration. I am not projecting that he will, but this is ST, and this is where the Dodgers can learn if he has anything at all left.
The net result is that the Dodgers have a lot of options. They are not looking for an Ace or a replacement for Zach Greinke. They are looking for a replacement of Brett Anderson, #5 in the rotation. I am hoping that Zach Lee makes the most of his opportunity, and seizes the #5 spot. If he is successful, when Urias, De Leon, and McCarthy all become available, Lee can become a very valuable trade piece. At least that is what I am pulling for.