Former Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias was charged with five misdemeanors Tuesday by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office on suspicion of domestic violence.
The charges come three months after the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office declined to file felony charges in relation to an incident outside of BMO Stadium in Los Angeles following an MLS game Sept. 3 between Los Angeles FC and Inter Miami CF.
Urias, currently a free agent after his Dodgers contract expired at the end of last season, is facing two counts of domestic battery, as well as counts of spousal battery, false imprisonment and assault. He is set to be arraigned May 2 in Los Angeles Superior Court.
While patrolling outside the stadium after the soccer match, featuring Inter Miami star Lionel Messi, Department of Public Safety officers responded to an unidentified witness reporting a physical altercation between a man and a woman.
The DPS spoke to the individuals, determined an altercation had occurred and arrested Urias on suspicion of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant. He was released on a $50,000 bond and had an initial court appearance on Sept. 27.
It was Urias’ second domestic violence arrest in four years. The Dodgers suspended Urias immediately and he did not pitch for the team again in 2023.
Urias was previously arrested for domestic battery in May 2019. MLB suspended him 20 games after he allegedly pushed a woman to the ground in a Los Angeles mall parking lot.
Prosecutors elected not to file misdemeanor charges in that incident provided that he meet certain conditions, including 52 weeks of domestic counseling.
A 20-game winner in 2021 and the National League ERA leader (2.16) in 2022, Urias is 60-25 with a 3.11 ERA in 158 games (122 starts) since making his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2016. He finished third in the NL Cy Young voting last season in 2022.
Urias was working on a one-year, $14.25 million contract in 2023 and in line for a lucrative multi-year deal, with his MLB career now in jeopardy.
–Field Level Media