MLB schedule, scores: Dodgers' Julio Urias makes return to rotation following lengthy absence

The first weekend of the 2019 regular season is in the books and teams are now moving on to their second series of the year. The Braves, Giants, Indians, and Pirates will all play their home openers Monday and home openers sure are a lot of fun.

Three left-handed starters are making their return to the rotation Monday following lengthy absences due to injuries. The list:

Smith was shaping up to be a real nice story for Miami last season -- they acquired him from the Yankees in a minor trade in November 2017 -- before the injury. He threw 77 1/3 innings with a 4.19 ERA and 88 strikeouts last year. Smyly last threw a meaningful pitch in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Since then he's managed to go from the Mariners to the Cubs to the Rangers as a free agent and in trades.

With all due respect to Smith and Smyly, Urias is the most notable lefty rejoining his team's rotation Monday. Torn shoulder capsules are often the kiss of death for pitchers -- torn capsules effectively entered the careers of Mark Prior, Rich Harden, John Maine, and Johan Santana, among others -- but Urias made it back last season as a reliever, and threw well. He looked even better in spring training.

Urias is still only 22 (!) and it wasn't long ago that he was the best pitching prospect in baseball. The Dodgers have had to thrust him into action early this year due to the Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill injuries, which probably isn't how they drew it up, but that's the way things worked out. Urias looking like his pre-injury self would be a welcome sight in his 2019 debut.

Because it is Monday, that means Matt Snyder has released his latest MLB Power Rankings. Now here is everything you need to know leading into the first Monday of the new season.

Select games can be streamed regionally via fuboTV (Try for free). For more on what channel each game is on, click here.

Baseball schedule/scores for Monday, April 1

Quick hits

Source Link