Jose Urena will not pitch for the Marlins in the postseason.
The Miami Marlins were one of the best stories of the 2020 season, as they came out of the gate smoking hot despite some positive COVID-19 tests and ended up in the postseason for the first time in 17 years. Unfortunately, Miami was dealt with some poor injury luck in what turned out to be a somewhat sour end to the 2020 regular season against the New York Yankees, and it will likely cost starting pitcher Jose Urena playoff games.
Urena was confirmed to have fractured his right forearm after Yankees star DJ LeMahieu hit a laser beam right off of his arm early in the final game of the regular season. The injury will keep him out of Miami’s first postseason appearance since their championship season in 2003.
Jose Urena was a bit inconsistent in 2020
Urena hasn’t been a consistent pitcher since 2018, as his 6.00 ERA in four starts shows that he never really got off of the ground in 2020. While the likes of Sixto Sanchez and Sandy Alcantara established themselves as quality starters, Urena could’ve been a huge help for Miami out of the bullpen.
Despite Miami’s success this year, this is a team that is clearly leaning on the strength of the pitching staff when compared to a lineup that lacks star power. Urena, despite his struggles, was going to be trusted to eat up innings should the need arise. Miami will need to search elsewhere for someone else to take up that responsibility.
Urena wasn’t a Cy Young contender, but he’s one of the more experienced players on a very young roster. Losing him could have a bigger impact than the raw numbers would indicate given his relative seniority on this roster.