PHOENIX -- Julio Urias and Brandon Morrow were told they will not make the Dodgers' season-opening pitching staff, manager Dave Roberts confirmed on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old Urias will be with the Dodgers for this week's Freeway Series, then he is expected to report to extended spring camp as management throttles back his usage early so he will be fresh and available late in the season.
Management brought Urias to camp with the rest of the Major Leaguers in mid-February, even though he might not pitch for the Dodgers until late April or May. Instead of being shut down, he will continue throwing.
"We've had internal discussions on his program going forward," said Roberts. "We've had a lot of people study biomechanics and the arm, and this is what we feel is best for Julio."
Urias threw a combined 80 1/3 innings at four Minor League stops in 2015. In 2016, that number jumped to 127 2/3 innings in the regular season and postseason, 82 2/3 of them in the Major Leagues, where he went 5-2 with a 3.39 ERA with 84 strikeouts in the regular season.
Morrow, a non-roster invitee who has had an impressive spring as a reliever, will receive a $100,000 retention bonus and go to Triple-A Oklahoma City to continue his comeback from 2015 shoulder surgery.
"It's huge to have him, it's a luxury for us," Roberts said of Morrow. "He's a Major League pitcher and we expect him to pitch innings for us."
Morrow, 32, said he knew when he signed that he was fighting stiff odds because of the Dodgers' talent.
"They had positive things to say, but I knew they had tough decisions to make," said Morrow, who also will stay with the team through the Freeway Series. "I don't think it was a no-brainer to leave me behind. I think I made a good case for myself. Just the complexion of the roster had me on the outside.
"I still have an uphill battle because I'm not on the roster. I have to pitch well at OKC and put up numbers and make it hard on them."
If Morrow is not called up by June 1, he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent.