Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías is facing five misdemeanor charges stemming from a public altercation with his wife, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office confirmed Tuesday.
Urías, 27, is facing two charges of domestic battery involving a dating relationship, and one charge each of spousal battery, false imprisonment, and assault.
The charges were filed after Urías, then a pitcher for the Dodgers, was arrested Sept. 3, 2023, outside BMO Stadium, where he and his wife were attending a Major League Soccer Game.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney declined to press felony charges against Urías in January.
According to TMZ, which first reported the charges filed Tuesday, Urias and his wife Daisy “got into a tiff after the pitcher had taken pictures at the event with female fans. At one point during their argument, our sources claim Urias got physical with her … allegedly putting his arm around her, slamming her against a fence, and pulling her hair. Cops say they were told Urias then swung at her.”
Three days after the arrest, Urías was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball. He did not return to the Dodgers afterward and became a free agent after the season.
At one point Urías figured to be one of the more coveted free agent pitchers on the market. He went 60-25 with a 3.11 ERA in 158 games (122 starts) for the Dodgers from 2016-23 and hit the open market at a relatively young age.
However, Urías is likely facing a lengthy suspension by MLB once his legal case is resolved. He was suspended 20 games under the league’s joint domestic violence policy in 2019 as a result of another public altercation with the same woman. No player has been suspended twice under MLB’s policy.
Urías made 23 postseason appearances for the Dodgers in his career, highlighted by a save in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series to close out the club’s first championship since 1988.
Without Urías, the Dodgers struggled in the 2023 postseason. Their three starting pitchers — Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller, and Lance Lynn — combined to allow 13 runs in 4.2 innings. The Dodgers lost all three games to the Arizona Diamondbacks in their National League Division Series, a stunning upset following a 100-win season.
According to multiple reports, Urías might still look to latch on with a team in 2024. One report claimed he was willing to pitch in Japan. Urías’ agent, Scott Boras, also told the Los Angeles Times in March that the pitcher was still training and had “teams inquiring about him a lot.”
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