Photo Credit: Peter Aiken/USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher, Julio Urías, was arrested late Sunday night on felony charges of domestic violence. Los Angeles police confirmed the arrest to ESPN, which verifies that this is Urías’s second domestic violence arrest in the last four years. Urías was previously arrested for domestic violence allegations in 2019, but he did not face charges and instead was ordered to complete a one-year domestic violence counseling program. In regards to the MLB, he was suspended for 20 games under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy. [1] The details pertaining to his most recent offense have not been entirely released, however, the incident did occur in a public place. Urías and the woman attended the LAFC v. Inter Miami game where Urías was on the guest list among other high-profile and public figures such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Prince Harry, Selena Gomez, and Tyga.
Urías’s arrest occurred on Sunday, September 3, at 11pm PST at Exposition Park, which includes BMO stadium, where the soccer match took place. He was booked around 1am and he was released Monday morning on a $50,000 bond. Shortly thereafter, the Dodgers put out the following statement: “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.” [2] MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, did not immediately release a statement regarding Julio’s most recent arrest, but rest assured it came once more information regarding the situation was disclosed. According to the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy set forth by the MLB, the Commissioner’s Office provides the Players Association with written notification that it is investigating an allegation that a Player has engaged in a Covered Act. Under this policy, Commissioner Manfred has the authority to place a Player accused of a Covered Act on Administrative Leave, effective as early as the date of the Act, and may keep the Player on Administrative Leave for up to seven days, with a one-time extension of the initial seven-day Administrative Leave period for an additional seven days – amounting to fourteen days. Because of this, it is likely that Manfred waited to make a decisions regarding Urías. In situations like this, a commissioner will defer placing an athlete on Administrative Leave until they have been charged with a crime by law enforcement, or until the Commissioner’s office receives credible information corroborating the allegations made. [3] On Wednesday, September 6th, Urías was placed on Administrative leave until further notice, while the MLB continues its ongoing investigation. [4] The MLB released a statement stating: “The administrative leave, which is effective immediately, is not disciplinary under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. We will refrain from further comment until the appropriate time.” Urías has a September 27 court date set. The MLB post-season begins October 3, and if the Dodgers end up as one of the top two seeds, their first game would be on October 7. Is it probable that Urías has thrown his last pitch as an LA Dodger? [5]
Urías is entering into the final stages of his contract with the LA Dodgers and is set to be a free agent at the close of this season. This will be the first time Urías sees free agency since his entrance into the MLB back in 2012 when the Dodgers signed him at 16 years old [6] While the results of his most recent arrest have yet to come to fruition, one thing is certain, Urías’s brand will take a huge hit. Entering into free agency with two domestic violence charges in the last four years is likely to hinder his marketability to teams and sponsors alike. Not to mention, it seems highly unlikely that the Dodgers would be interested in signing him again after his history, and what they went through with Trevor Bauer during the ’21-’22 season. Although Urías’s future in the MLB is uncertain, it is highly likely that he will face repercussions for his actions and will be disciplined further than he was back in 2019.
4. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/dodgers-julio-urias-placed-administrative-leave-arrest
5. https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/newsletter/2023-09-05/julio-urias-dodgers-dugout
6. Id.
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