MIAMI – For most of Tuesday afternoon, the host clubhouse at LoanDepot Park showed little sign that anything was amiss. Batters shuffled in and out of the cage, chatting about the evening’s appetizer. Clubhouse televisions broadcast on MLB Network featured a discussion of the tight pennant race, which remains a month before the end of the regular season.
The room showed no sign of Julio Urías’ presence with the Dodgers. Urías was scheduled to start the game on Thursday. But the club’s opening night starter did not travel with the team after he was arrested on suspicion of assault on a spouse and released a few hours later on $50,000 bail.
The process now goes well beyond whether the 27-year-old left-hander, who was expected to be one of the top free-agent starters on the market, will make his next start with the Dodgers.
Court records from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department show Urías has a court date scheduled for Sept. 27, the final week of the Dodgers’ regular season. The Exposition Park police, who are handling Urías’ case, have until that date to potentially file charges against Urías.
So much of Urías’ season was seen through the lens of what he can do for the Dodgers and for himself. Now he is the subject of a looming Major League Baseball investigation, according to a league source who was granted anonymity to speak freely.
“It’s certainly very unfortunate,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, referring to a brief statement the organization issued Monday morning. “For us, we’re just sitting there waiting as the process continues until we know more.”
Urías has already been suspended for violating the league’s common domestic violence policy. MLB suspended Urías for 20 games in 2019 after investigating an arrest on suspicion of domestic assault following an alleged physical altercation with Urías and a woman in the parking lot of the Beverly Center mall.
The league then placed Urías on administrative leave to begin an investigation, which is likely the next step in this incident. Administrative leave does not constitute an admission of guilt and is not considered a punishment. Players are paid and receive service time. Urías could be placed on administrative leave before Thursday, at which point the Dodgers will have to sort out who will pitch.
Administrative leave is typically set at 7 to 10 days, but may be extended beyond that day with the approval of the league and the MLB Players’ Association.
Clayton Kershaw, who started Tuesday, is still working to overcome his shoulder issues. (Sam Navarro/USA Today)
The news broke Monday morning as the Dodgers prepared to board a flight from Los Angeles to Miami to begin a six-game road trip to the East Coast. Roberts said he was “shocked” when the club’s headquarters informed him of Urías’ arrest. Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, called Urías and told him he would not be making the trip with the club because the lawsuit was ongoing.
“Obviously an extremely disappointing development,” Friedman said Tuesday, declining to elaborate on his conversation with Urías. “Right now, our concern is for him and his representatives to resolve the issue while we focus on both the short and long-term future.”
Urías was not charged with a crime in 2019, a decision that included a requirement that he participate in a 52-week in-person counseling program. Like in 2019, MLB can still punish Urías. Under the MLB-PA Joint Policy on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse, the commissioner has unilateral authority to impose punishments independent of the court system, meaning players do not have to be charged in order to be suspended. Since its inception in 2015, no player has ever been banned twice under the policy. The longest suspension under the policy to date was the 194 games former Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer served before being designated for assignment in January.
On Tuesday, the organization could only wait for more information from law enforcement or MLB.
“We don’t know any more today than we did yesterday,” Friedman said. “Our boys are professionals. Clearly they are concerned about the situation. … But they’re also professionals and they’re focused on going out and winning a baseball game tonight. That doesn’t mean they don’t worry, but it allows them to shift their focus and focus on the task at hand.”
The roster situation is secondary, but represents another hurdle. The organization had trusted that Urías would play a crucial role in the club’s plans for October, despite his worst ERA of 4.60 (second only to a league-leading Value of 2.16 in 2022). The club’s rotation depth has stalled this summer with Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin each requiring season-ending surgery. Clayton Kershaw, who started Tuesday, is still fighting back from shoulder problems. The organization unsuccessfully attempted to add another impact starter at the trade deadline.
“There are still so many unknowns that we haven’t addressed it yet,” Friedman said. “(But) we feel like we’re going to have a lot of talent on our pitching staff come October. We may not know exactly who the 13 will be at this point. But we are very confident that we can bring some big things and have the ability to play together in different ways to put our offense in position to shine.”
(Top photo by Julio Urías from August 13: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today)