Julio Urias to participate in Dodgers prospects development program

Teenage left-hander Julio Urias will be one of the 27 Dodgers prospects who will participate in the club’s winter development program in Los Angeles this week, the team announced.

The program, which will be run by new farm director Gabe Kapler, is intended to help prepare the franchise’s top prospects for life in the major leagues.

Urias, 18, could be pitching at Dodger Stadium in the near future. This spring, he will be the youngest player in the team’s major league spring training camp.

Urias, who is from Mexico, was the youngest player in the Class A California League last season. He pitched for Rancho Cucamonga, making 25 appearances, including 20 starts, and had a record of 2-2 with a 2.36 earned-run average.

Other top prospects attending the development program include Zach Lee, Chris Anderson, Grant Holmes, Chris Reed and Scott Schebler.

Infielder Corey Seager and outfielder Joc Pederson, the Dodgers’ top two prospects, will not participate in the program.

The participants: Urias, Anderson, Holmes, Lee, Reed, Schebler, Austin Barnes, Cody Bellinger, Buck Britton, Daniel Coulombe, Jose De Leon, O’Koyea Dickson, Kyle Farmer, Carlos Frias, Kyle Jensen, Adam Law, Julian Leon, Michael Medina, Chris O’Brien, Tyler Ogle, Jeremy Rathjen, Josh Ravin, Ryan Scott, Ross Stripling, Darnell Sweeney, Alex Verdugo and Shawn Zarraga.