Dodgers’ Dave Roberts: ‘We need’ Julio Urias right now

Last season, the Dodgers and Julio Urias each needed a break. Urias required cosmetic eye surgery. The Dodgers wanted to enforce strict innings limits to protect Urias’ prized left arm.

So they found an agreeable solution: Urias would undergo surgery in May. He sat out a total of nearly two months in the middle of the season to recover while resting his arm.

But, Urias soon found, the respite was awkward. For the rest of the season, he never recovered his previous rhythm.

“The truth is, yes, it was difficult,� Urias said.

The Dodgers are confronting a similarly uncomfortable situation this season. Through six starts, the 19-year-old is gaining confidence and maturity. He is tethered to a pitch count, and endured a rocky first two outings, which inflated his 4.33 earned-run average. But he has achieved competence, or better, in his last four.

He is, Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged, becoming indispensable — a painful fact, because the Dodgers plan on dispensing with him, for another midseason rest, in the near future. His start on Tuesday could be his last for a while.

Which presents the Dodgers with a dilemma: Can they afford to shut him down?

“We need him right now,� Roberts said before Urias’ start on Wednesday. “These are valuable starts for our club, and so it makes sense for him to be here as long as he can be.�

Roberts was asked about the wisdom of the shutdown.

“I don’t have any thoughts,� Roberts said.

The rehabilitation of injured pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy could provide an easy fix. If the recovery of each continues apace, they could take over Urias’ spot in the rotation.

Still, there is no guarantee Urias will be sharp if he returns later this season.

“But the decision is the team’s,� Urias said. “If the team tells me I’m going to take a break, I’ll be fine with that. If the team tells me I’m going to continue pitching, I’ll be prepared for that.�

Friday’s starter named

Triple-A right-hander Nick Tepesch will start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, the Dodgers announced.

Tepesch’s start offers an extra day’s rest to the top four starters, which is particularly useful for right-hander Kenta Maeda, who was accustomed to longer rest in Japan. Maeda will start on Saturday.

Tepesch, 27, has made 39 big-league starts, all with the Texas Rangers in 2013 and 2014. Since joining the Dodgers in June, he has gone 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in triple-A Oklahoma City.

Tepesch is not on the 40-man roster. The Dodgers said they would announce the corresponding roster move on Friday.

Dylan Hernandez contributed to this report.

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