The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office made a significant decision on Tuesday, opting not to pursue felony charges against former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias in connection with his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence. In a charge-evaluation worksheet, the office explained that the severity of the victim’s injuries and Urias’s criminal history did not warrant felony charges. Instead, the case will be handed over to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for considerations related to potential misdemeanor charges.
For Major League Baseball (MLB), which had initiated an independent investigation into the incident, the next steps hinge on the city attorney’s office’s determination regarding potential misdemeanor filings. Urias, who is currently a free agent, had previously faced a 20-game suspension by MLB in August 2019 following an arrest on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery. Notably, he was not criminally charged in that particular case. If MLB decides to suspend him again, Urias would make history as the first repeat offender under the league’s domestic violence policy, which was introduced in August 2015.
Urias, at the age of 27, found himself arrested on the night of September 3, suspected of corporal injury on a spouse. MLB placed him on administrative leave three days later, effectively concluding his season. The incident unfolded in the parking lot of BMO Stadium after an LAFC soccer match, witnessed by an onlooker who observed Urias engaging in a physical altercation with his wife. Urias was subsequently released on $50,000 bail the following morning.
The California Highway Patrol’s major crimes division conducted a comprehensive three-month investigation into the incident before turning the case over to the district attorney’s office on December 11. According to the charge-evaluation worksheet released on Tuesday, Urias had allegedly pushed the victim against a fence and “pulled her by the hair or shoulders.”
Julio Urias, initially signed from Mexico shortly after his 16th birthday, emerged as a highly regarded pitching prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system. He achieved stardom as a 19-year-old rookie in 2016. Despite undergoing major shoulder surgery, Urias made a significant comeback, contributing to championship-caliber teams. He notably secured the final out of the 2020 World Series, recorded 20 wins in 2021, and secured a third-place finish in the National League Cy Young Award voting in 2022.
As a young free agent with a relatively limited number of innings pitched, Urias was previously anticipated to secure a contract exceeding $200 million in the open market before the incident. However, even in the absence of a criminal conviction, his MLB future is now clouded with uncertainty.