Julio Urías and Dodgers run into trouble fast in exhibition loss to Royals
The Kansas City Royals defeated the Dodgers, 8-4, at Camelback Ranch on Sunday night.
ON THE MOUND: Sunday’s game was the first the Dodgers played this spring in which teams weren’t allowed to roll innings over to protect a pitcher. Instead, teams can pull and reinsert pitchers. The Dodgers quickly used the workaround, removing Julio Urías with two outs in the first inning before putting him back in to start the second inning. Urías began his outing by issuing a 12-pitch walk to Bobby Witt Jr., one of the top prospects in baseball, before an error by Corey Seager and a passed ball by Will Smith exacerbated matters. Urías initially exited after giving up an unearned run. He departed for good after 21/3 innings. … Jimmy Nelson, a nonroster invitee, retired six of the seven batters he faced in two innings with three strikeouts. He’s posted seven strikeouts without a walk in five scoreless innings this spring. … Kenley Jansen recorded a perfect seventh inning, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts. The Dodgers closer hasn’t yielded a run or walked a batter in four one-inning appearances this spring. …Blake Treinen allowed two baserunners to reach base in the eighth but emerged unscathed.
AT THE PLATE: Corey Seager hit a solo home run in the first inning to continue his torrid stretch. Seager has homered in each of his last three games. Seager is batting .429 with four home runs in 10 games this spring.
EXTRA BASES: Roberts said the Dodgers will announce “a big wave” of cuts to their big-league camp Monday. Re-assigned players will continue spring training on the minor league side but can still appear in Cactus League games. The players will also participate in “B games.” The Dodgers’ first one is scheduled for Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox, their neighbors at Camelback Ranch.
UP NEXT: Dustin May is slated to make his first start since March 2 on Monday against the Colorado Rockies. Right-hander Jose Mujica will start for Colorado. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Salt River Fields. TV: SNLA. Radio: 570.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
