Major League Baseball confirmed it is investigating an incident involving Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Julio Urías after he was arrested in Los Angeles on Sunday night. MLB also placed Urías on administrative leave until further notice, a step that keeps him inactive as the investigation moves forward. That placement is not disciplinary, and Urías will continue to be paid.
Urías was arrested late Sunday night by the Exposition Park branch of the Department of Public Safety, which confirmed Wednesday that Urías was charged with violating the portion of the penal code that prohibits inflicting corporal violence against a spouse or cohabitant.
According to a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department online booking database, Urías was arrested just after 11 p.m. Sunday and booked at 1:05 a.m. Monday. He posted $50,000 bond and was released after 4 a.m. His court date was set for Sept. 27. Urías was on the guest list of celebrities on hand to watch Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami play a soccer match against Los Angeles FC on Sunday night at BMO Stadium, which is located in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles.
“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,” the Dodgers wrote on social media Monday. Urias did not travel with the Dodgers to Miami. His next scheduled start was Thursday.
In 2019, Los Angeles police arrested Urías on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge after an incident involving a woman that took place in the parking lot of a mall. A city prosecutor declined to move forward on the charge as long as Urías was not arrested again for violent criminal behavior over the next year. He also had to complete a domestic violence counseling program. Though Urías was not charged, MLB suspended him for 20 games under its domestic violence policy.
Urías, a 27-year-old from Mexico, is in his eighth major league season, all of them with the Dodgers. He finished in the top 10 in voting for the National League Cy Young Award the past two seasons — posting a league-best 2.16 ERA in 2022 — but is 11-8 with a 4.60 ERA in 21 starts in 2023. He is slated to be a free agent after the season.
