Julio Urias has not appeared in an MLB game since 2023, and that will not be changing any time soon.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Friday that the league has completed its investigation into the allegations of domestic violence against the former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Urias. The investigation has found that Urias did indeed violate MLB policy, and he is thus being suspended through the 2025 All-Star break. Urias will be eligible for reinstation from the restricted list on July 17.
“The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball has completed its investigation into allegations that free agent pitcher Julio Urías violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy,” Manfred said in a statement, per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Urías violated our Policy and that discipline is appropriate.”
Urias, 28, was arrested in Sept. 2023 on charges of domestic violence after a disturbing incident in which he got physical with his girlfriend outside of BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. following an MLS soccer match. Video of the incident showed that Urias ran up behind the woman and shoved her into a fence, even taking swings at one point before being restrained by bystanders.
MLB placed Urias on administrative leave days later, and he has not pitched in a game ever since. While the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office decided in early 2024 not to file any felony charges against Urias over the incident, the city attorney’s office ended up hitting him with five misdemeanor charges. Urias would eventually agree to a plea deal involving probation and community service.
Now nearly a year later, MLB has completed its own investigation into Urias and opted to formally suspend him through the 2025 All-Star break in July. Urias was also previously suspended for 20 games by Major League Baseball stemming from a separate arrest in 2019 in which he allegedly shoved a woman to the ground in the parking lot of an upscale shopping center. The status of Urias as a repeat offender likely factored into MLB’s decision to officially suspend him for over 80 games.
With the lefty Urias’ contract with the Dodgers having expired following the 2023 season, he has not gotten a new one from any team since then. He was 11-8 with a 4.60 ERA and 117 strikeouts over 21 starts in his last full season of play, and it is very doubtful at this point that Urias will get another MLB opportunity given his baggage and his lengthy suspension to open up 2025.
