NEW YORK -- One day after becoming the first teenage starting pitcher in over a decade, the Los Angeles Dodgers sent Julio Urias back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The Dodgers' top prospect, and widely regarded as the top prospect in all of baseball, lasted just 2 2/3 innings against the New York Mets on Friday. In making his debut, he became the first pitcher to start a major league game before his 20th birthday since Felix Hernandez in 2005.
To take his spot on the 25-man roster, the Dodgers selected the contract of right-handed reliever Casey Fien from Oklahoma City on Saturday.
"We thought Julio threw the ball well. It was just where he's at and where our bullpen's at," manager Dave Roberts said. "It was more of the fact that we need to have coverage in the bullpen for the next couple, three games."
Urias will continue to be used as a starter at Oklahoma City. The Dodgers have made no secret of their desire to keep Urias' innings to a minimum this season and have even suggested using him out of the bullpen as the season progresses. That switch will not happen yet.
The Dodgers were confident Urias could be successful Friday, taking a 1.10 ERA and 27 consecutive scoreless innings into the outing. But the Mets tagged the youngster for three first-inning runs. The left-hander also battled command issues, registering four walks.
Despite his struggles, and less-than-desirable outcome Friday, the Mexico native still called it the best day of his life. His parents were on hand to see him fulfill his dream of pitching in the major leagues.
"I talked to him this morning and he was still on Cloud 9," Roberts said. "He was excited about last night. He had a chance to have his family here and celebrate that moment, and I just encouraged him and complimented him on how he handled himself last night."
The Dodgers have not ruled out the possibility of bringing back Urias to the major leagues later in the season.
"I'm not going to lie, when I went out there I started thinking about everything I had to go through to get here," Urias said through an interpreter following Friday's game. "But when I was on the mound, I was able to settle down and feel a little more comfortable. Unfortunately we weren't able to get the results we wanted."