MIAMI – For much of Tuesday afternoon, the visiting clubhouse at LoanDepot Park showed little sign that anything was amiss. Hitters were going in and out of the cage, chatting about that night’s starter. Clubhouse televisions broadcast by MLB Network showed a discussion about the tight pennant races that remain with a month to go before the end of the regular season.
In the room there was no trace of the presence of Julio Urías with the dodgers. Urías was supposed to be a starter in Thursday’s game. But the club’s opening day starter did not travel with the team, after He was arrested on suspicion of felony bodily injury to a spouse, and hours later he was released on $50,000 bail.
The process now goes well beyond whether the 27-year-old lefty, who was expected to be one of the best free-agent starters on the market, will make his next start for the Dodgers.
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department court records show Urías has a hearing date set for September 27, the final week of the Dodgers’ regular season. Exposition Park police, who are handling the Urías case, have until then to press charges against Urías.
Much of Urías’ season has been viewed through the lens of what he can bring to the Dodgers and to himself. Now, he is the subject of an imminent Major League Baseball investigation, according to a league source who was granted anonymity to speak freely.
“It’s certainly very unfortunate,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, referring to a brief statement the organization issued Monday morning. “For us, we’re just sitting and waiting as the process continues until we know more.”
Urías has already been the subject of a suspension for violating the league’s joint domestic violence policy. MLB suspended Urías for 20 games in 2019 after investigating a arrest on suspicion of domestic battery following an alleged physical altercation with Urías and a woman in the parking lot of the Beverly Center mall.
The league placed Urías on administrative leave to begin its investigation, which is likely the next step in this incident. Administrative leave is not an admission of guilt nor is it considered punitive. Players are paid and accrue service time. Urías could receive administrative leave before Thursday, which is when the Dodgers will have to decide who will pitch.
Administrative leave is generally set for between 7 and 10 days, although it can be extended beyond that day with the approval of the league and the MLB Players Association.
The news broke Monday morning as the Dodgers prepared to board a flight from Los Angeles to Miami to kick off a six-game East Coast road trip. Roberts said he was “shocked” when the club’s front office informed him of Urías’ arrest. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman called Urías to inform him that he would not be making the trip with the club while the legal process unfolds.
“Obviously an extremely disappointing development,” Friedman said Tuesday, declining to elaborate on his conversation with Urías. “For us right now, the important thing is that he and his representatives figure this out while we focus on both the short term and the long term.”
Urías was not charged with any crime in 2019, a decision that included a stipulation that he attend a 52-week in-person counseling program. MLB can still, as it did in 2019, punish Urías. Under the joint MLB and Palestinian Authority domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, the commissioner has the unilateral power to enact punishments independent of the court system, meaning players don’t have to be charged to be suspended. No player has been suspended twice under the policy since it was implemented in 2015. The longest suspension thus far under the policy was former Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer served 194 games before being designated for assignment at January.
On Tuesday, the organization could only wait for more information from authorities or the MLB.
“Today we don’t know any more than we knew yesterday,” Friedman said. “Our guys are professionals. Obviously, they are concerned about the situation. … But they’re also professionals and they’re focused on going out tonight and winning a baseball game. That doesn’t mean they’re not worried, but they can shift their focus and concentrate on the task at hand.”
The situation of the squad is secondary but presents another obstacle. The organization had relied on Urías to play a pivotal role in the club’s plans for October, despite a career-worst ERA of 4.60 (after a league-leading 2.16 in 2022). The depth of the club’s rotation has faltered this summer, with Dustin May and tony gonsolin each required season-ending surgery. Tuesday’s incoming Clayton Kershaw, is still recovering from his shoulder problems. The organization tried unsuccessfully to add another impact holder at the trade deadline.
“There are still so many unknowns that we haven’t quite figured that out yet,” Friedman said. “(But) we feel like we’re going to have a lot of talent on our pitching staff in October. We may not know exactly who the 13 will be at this point. But we’re very confident that we’ll bring some big things to the table and the ability to combine in different ways to put our offense in a position to shine.”
(Top photo of Julio Urías August 13: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today)
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