In the wake of Julio Urías’ recent domestic violence arrest, the Los Angeles Dodgers have made significant changes to their promotional plans.
The 27-year-old pitcher, who was charged with corporal injury on a spouse or partner late Sunday night, has been placed on paid administrative leave by Major League Baseball.
As a direct response to these developments, the Dodgers announced on Wednesday that they will no longer proceed with their planned Julio Urías bobblehead giveaway, originally scheduled for Thursday, September 21.
Instead, the team will offer “select premium bobbleheads” to the first 30,000 fans attending the game at Dodger Stadium on that date.
The Dodgers are replacing the Julio Urías bobblehead promotion for the night of September 21 with a giveaway of select premium bobbleheads to the first 30,000 fans in attendance. For more information visit, https://t.co/36IUWLzvoH.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 6, 2023
The team also issued a statement in which they expressed their commitment to taking allegations of domestic violence seriously and affirmed their stance against such acts.
“The Dodgers take all allegations of the kind in this case very seriously, and we do not condone or excuse any acts of domestic violence,” the team’s statement read. “We are fully cooperating with MLB’s investigation and support MLB’s and the Commissioner’s enforcement of the policy. The Dodgers will have no further comment at this time.”
Urías, a left-handed pitcher who joined the Dodgers as a 19-year-old in 2016, has had an overall successful career with a 3.11 ERA but experienced a less consistent performance this season with a 4.60 ERA in 21 starts. He is currently in the final year of his contract.
It’s worth noting that this is not Urías’ first encounter with a domestic violence-related suspension. He previously received a 20-game suspension in 2019 for a separate domestic violence arrest.
The Dodgers, despite the ongoing controversy, are set to face the San Francisco Giants on the day of the originally planned Julio Urías bobblehead giveaway. Before that, they will return home on Monday to host the San Diego Padres following their ongoing road series against the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals.
The situation surrounding Julio Urías’ legal proceedings and his future with the Dodgers remains uncertain as MLB conducts its investigation.