ATLANTA -- The Dodgers will likely pick up a relief arm before Tuesday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, because that's what they do at trade deadlines.
But with so many injured pitchers in the process of returning, as well as the current surplus of starting pitchers, manager Dave Roberts said there is less of an urgency for reinforcements than there was a month ago.
Roberts on Friday was especially excited about the possibility of Julio Urias pitching out of the bullpen, as well as Dennis Santana. Urias has been out a year after shoulder surgery but will be in Los Angeles next week to pitch a simulated game. There isn't time to build him up to start, Roberts said, so Urias will be a reliever if he returns this year. Santana has been sidelined since early June with a rotator cuff strain.
"If there's a deal to be had, I'm sure our guys will be on it," Roberts said. "With what we have, to go outside and do something just to do something, it's got to really make sense because there's a lot of good arms here that we know and we trust internally."
The Dodgers opted not to overspend for recently traded relievers Brad Hand, Jeurys Familia or Zach Britton. With the current six-man rotation, Roberts said one starter will be moved to the bullpen. He didn't say which one, but Thomas Stripling, Kenta Maeda and Alex Wood have been successful in that role in the past.
Pedro Baez has already returned to the bullpen, and Roberts said Josh Fields and Tony Cingrani, in that order, aren't far away from returning from shoulder issues.
Easily the most intriguing bullpen candidate is Urias.
"We don't know what we're going to get," Roberts said of Urias, "but I will say that in the postseason of '16, and his first taste of the big leagues and what he did -- the heartbeat, the stuff -- to get him back in a short stint is something we feel comfortable we can bet on. We're all excited for this."
Roberts said the reports on Urias in recent weeks have all been favorable. He said Hyun-Jin Ryu, recovering from a serious groin strain, will also throw a simulated game in Los Angeles next week. Ryu is not being considered for the bullpen.
Worth noting
• Roberts said outfielder Yasiel Puig will be activated on Saturday.