Los Angeles starting pitcher Julio Urias was arrested Sunday night on felony domestic violence charges. This is the second offense in four years for the starter.
Urias was arrested around 11 P.M. PT Sunday and booked into jail around 1 A.M. He later was released on $50,000 bond at around 5 this morning and has a court date scheduled for September 27 of this year, the last week of the regular season. The news was first reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Julio Urías was arrested and charged with felony domestic violence charges late last night, an officer with the LAPD tells ESPN.
Urias, 27, was booked late Sunday and released early this morning on $50,000 bond.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 4, 2023
As mentioned, this is the second time Urias has been arrested for domestic violence charges. Back in 2019, he was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery. He reportedly shoved a female companion to the ground. According to reports, the woman that Urias allegedly shoved to the ground told police that she fell. The LA City Attorney didn’t press charges, but deferred them as long as Urias didn’t commit a violent crime within the next year. He then was placed on a seven-day administrative leave by the MLB. Even though no charges were filed, Urias was served a 20-game suspension by the MLB for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy.
This is standard procedure by the league to allow the commissioner’s office to gather all facts and evidence surrounding the incident. Under the domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, the league can hand down disciplinary actions even when charges haven’t been officially brought upon the defendant.
The details of the incident are still unclear, but we do know that Urias allegedly attended the LAFC vs. Inter Miami SF game on Sunday night at BMO stadium. His name was among a list of ‘notable attendees’ alongside teammate Mookie Betts and Clayton Kershaw. It seems fair to assume that Urias will be placed on administrative leave while the league opens up their own investigation into the matter. While on administrative leave, players are paid and accrue service time, though both can be taken away in the event that a suspension is issued.
Urias, who last pitched on Friday against the Atlanta Braves, has an 11-8 record, 4.60 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts in 117.1 innings of work across 21 starts this season. Urias was also one of the key players in helping the Dodgers capture a 2020 World Series win. He also won the National League ERA title in 2022 after posting a 17-7 record, 2.16 ERA, and 166 strikeouts in 175 innings of work.
He is slated to be a free agent come the end of the 2023 season; What this investigation discovers could ultimately determine if another team wants to even sign Urias come next season. Though Urias has been a good pitcher, a second domestic violence offense definitely raises some red flags and teams should be cautious when it comes to who they design to sign in the offseason for the 2024 season.
UPDATE: The Los Angeles Dodgers tweet a short statement.
As of 1:09 P.M CST, the Los Angeles Dodgers posted on their Twitter a short statement regarding the Julio Urias situation.
We are aware of an incident involving Julio Urías. While we attempt to learn all the facts, he will not be traveling with the team. The organization has no further comment at this time.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 4, 2023
More updates will follow as they become available.
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