The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly active in scouring the trade market, trying to bolster their roster for another postseason run. One key midseason addition might not come from another team, however, but rather with the return of a former top prospect: Julio Urias.

Urias has been sidelined since he tore the anterior capsule in his left shoulder in June 2017. He underwent surgery soon after and has been slowly working his way back. Urias has reached major benchmarks in his rehab lately, under the watch of Dodgers trainers at Camelback Ranch.

Manger Dave Roberts revealed that Urias crossed another threshold by facing batters for the first time, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:

Left-hander Julio Urias took another significant step forward in his recovery from major shoulder surgery more than a year ago. Urias began throwing to hitters in live batting practice sessions as part of his workouts at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz. “I heard it went really well,” Roberts said, adding that Urias’ velocity was 88 to 92 mph during the session.

Urias had a solid rookie season in 2016 and was set to feature heavily in the Dodgers’ 2017 plans. Before that, he was one of the team’s top prospects and hailed by some as ‘the next Fernando’ due to his similarities with Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela.

Urias started 2017 on fire, allowing just two runs over his first 17 innings. He even carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in one start. However, his next two starts were disasters and ballooned his ERA to 5.40.

Urias was then sent to the minors, where suffered the shoulder injury in a Triple-A start.

The Dodgers’ starting rotation has been performing better lately, thanks in no small part to many key starters getting healthy. Ross Stripling has also emerged as an All-Star. Getting Urias, back, however, could bolster the team’s pitching staff as the Dodgers prepare for the second half of the 2018 season.

As part of our efforts to help you understand how we handle the personal information you share with us, and in preparation for the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we’ve updated our Privacy & Cookies Policy. The updated Privacy & Cookies Policy will take effect on May 22, 2018. By using our services on or after that date, you’ll be agreeing to our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy. We recommend that you read our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy in full.