Turner, Seager get scheduled day off
Roberts: Urias 'looked really good' throwing to hitters
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Justin Turner and Corey Seager were out of action on Wednesday, but don’t panic, this isn’t 2018.
Turner was recovering from his annual spring knee lubrication injection. Seager had a scheduled day off from on-field activity.
Turner had microfracture surgery on his left knee after the 2015 season and, each spring, receives a preventative injection of hyaluronic acid that allows the joint to move smoothly. Turner, who sustained a broken left wrist last spring, said he will be back in action on Thursday.
Seager has been recovering without setback from operations on his elbow and hip that wiped out his 2018 season. He has been able to do all baseball activities except throwing across the diamond and the club hopes he’ll be ready for Opening Day.
Other notes
• Julio Urias was one of nine pitchers who threw to hitters on Wednesday. Among the others were fellow left-handers Scott Alexander, Tony Cingrani and Caleb Ferguson.
“Julio has looked really good,” said manager Dave Roberts. “The delivery is repeating, the body looks great, he’s in a great mental place right now.”
The Dodgers could use the 22-year-old Urias in a swing role of starting and relieving, which would allow limiting his total innings while utilizing his talented arm in the Major Leagues rather than sending him to the Minor Leagues. Recovering from shoulder surgery, Urias threw only four regular-season innings in the Major Leagues last year, but 6 1/3 innings in the postseason.
“We have to look back at last year,” said Roberts. “There wasn’t a whole lot of volume, but the whole body of work we have to be mindful. There might be times where he’ll go back-to-back innings or two innings. We sort of have a tentative schedule. It’s not really slow-playing, but just realizing his workload from last year.”
• Hyun-Jin Ryu received a slight cut on the lip during a rundown play when a throw glanced off his glove and hit him on the mouth. He continued workouts and said he was fine afterward.
Before the workout, Roberts said Ryu is tinkering with a slider as a contrast to his cutter.
• The Dodgers promoted Nichol Whiteman to chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation from executive director and Chaitali Gala Mehta has been promoted to chief operating officer.