Does Hyun-Jin Ryu's Return to Dodgers Rotation Spell the end of Julio Urias?

Time is up for the teenager.

Julio Urias, the 19-year-old pitching phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers, might be making his last start of the season when he takes the mound on Monday, July 4^th against the Baltimore Orioles.

Urias was called up to the big leagues on May 27^th to replace left-hander Alex Wood who was put on the disabled list shortly thereafter with an elbow injury.

Urias pitched well in his stead, and after some early struggles against the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last three starts

Unfortunately for the youngster, the recent returns of Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu to the Dodgers' starting rotation likely mean that Monday's start will be Urias' last for the foreseeable future.

McCarthy was brilliant in his return to the mound from Tommy John Surgery as he allowed just two hits over five shutout innings in his first start since April 25, 2015 on Sunday as the Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 4-1.

McCarthy's return bumped rookie Brock Stewart out of the rotation as he was sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City. However, the team announced that Ryu would start on Thursday in the opening game of a four-game series with the San Diego Padres.

"After talking through things with Ryu and the guys upstairs, we have decided we are going to start him on Thursday," Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts said before the game against the Orioles on Monday.

Ryu made eight rehab starts with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and the Oklahoma City Dodgers over the past two months, sporting a 4.23 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 27 and 2/3 innings pitched.

He last pitched for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Friday, July 1 where he allowed two runs on five hits with three strikeouts in a 7-5 victory against the Stockton Ports. It was after that start, that Ryu realized he was ready to return. 

"So far what I have accomplished as far as my rehab goes: gaining back all my pitches and throwing multiple innings," Ryu said through a translator on Monday. "I think I'm ready to go." 

Ryu hasn't pitched in the Major Leagues in almost two years as he's undergone two different career-altering shoulder surgeries.

In 2015, a torn labrum shut down the Korean left-hander before the season began and he once again had to undergo offseason surgery before 2016. It's time however, for the Dodgers to discover what they have in Ryu both now and for the future. Roberts is simply looking at the present.

"He felt he can help us win a baseball game on Thursday," Roberts said. "To get him back will be great."

Currently, the rotation consists of Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda, Bud Norris, Brandon McCarthy, Urias and Ryu. 

It's possible the Dodgers could roll with a six-man rotation until Clayton Kershaw comes off the disabled list, but when he does, both Brett Anderson and Alex Wood—who threw off the mound on Sunday—will be waiting in the wings.

"The narrative was the depth and it's good to see it play out and that it's not just rhetoric," Roberts added about the bevy of baseball arms at his disposal and possibly down the road. "Finally, we have a high-class problem."

More than likely, if Ryu pitches well on Thursday, it will mean the end of Urias' season in the Majors. Barring an injury or further setback to the current starters, Urias will finish out the year in Oklahoma City.

This logic seems to be in line with the thinking of the Dodgers front office. Originally, they did not want to call up Urias this season, instead, possible preserve his golden arm for next season. However, injuries and early struggles forced the team's hand early, and they have been proceeding with caution regarding their prized prospect ever since.

For those Dodger fans out there that might be upset they won't be seeing any more of the wunderkind pitcher known as "the Teenager," fear not, as Urias will likely joing the club in September when rosters expand and should be on the starting rotation in 2017. 

Meanwhile, if the starting rotation remains healthy going forward, the Dodgers could be looking at a problem of having too many starting pitchers with no place to put them. Even after the Dodgers send Urias back down to Triple-A, its feasible that LA could have eight solid starting pitchers a month from now.

"Going forward, we're going to think through some things," Roberts concluded. "But it's a pleasant problem to have."