Dodgers' Julio Urias to make 2nd major league start Thursday

CHICAGO -- Julio Urias will be thrown right back into the fire in his return to the major leagues.

The 19-year-old top Dodgers prospect, who made his debut in New York on Friday before getting sent back to the minor leagues, will get his second career start in less than a week and do it at Wrigley Field against the first-place Chicago Cubs.

It took a pair of Dodgers injuries to turn Urias' demotion on Saturday into another start Thursday.

First, Dodgers starter Alex Wood went on the disabled list Tuesday with left posterior elbow soreness. Urias will assume his spot in the rotation. And when Kenta Maeda's start was pushed back a day because of a sore right hand, Urias found himself doing prep work for an outing against the Cubs, who are first in the National league with a .356 on-base percentage and second with 275 runs.

"Obviously, it's another opportunity for me to be up here," Urias said through an interpreter. "I am going to fight and do everything I can to be able to prove I need to remain here."

Despite being so young, Urias proved himself to be worthy of his original call to the major leagues last week by putting together 27 consecutive scoreless innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City. But he struggled to find his command against the Mets and had trouble rebounding when the tight strike zone went against him.

Urias is savvy enough to not panic just because his major league debut did not go his way. He gave up three runs in just 2 innings, with five hits and four walks.

Asked what he will do to change things from his first outing, Urias said,"I don't want to change anything. I just want to continue to be myself on the mound and continue to work so I can get the results."

There will be one noticeable difference, though: Urias will wear uniform No. 7 this time, instead of the No. 78 he wore in New York.

"It was the first number I ever played with, and it is a number that reminds me of when I was a child," he said.

Those childlike days weren't all that long ago, something that brings intrigue to Urias' arrival at the major league level. That he made his first start in New York and will make his second in Chicago only adds to the interest.

"I think you can look at it a couple different ways, but for him to make his debut on that stage in New York, there's really no bigger stage," manager Dave Roberts said. "So, I thought that he passed [the test]. I thought he handled himself really well into following that up with arguably the best team in baseball.

"So, we're checking some boxes early for Julio, and I think sometimes you want a softer landing for maybe a young pitcher, but I think with his makeup and obviously the stuff, I'm sure he can handle it."