Former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías charged with five misdemeanors in domestic violence case
The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office has announced charges against former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías in a case that stems from a domestic violence incident in September of last year.
Urías has been charged with five misdemeanors, according to a city spokesperson who spoke with CBS Sports. Those charges include one count of spousal battery, two counts of domestic battery involving dating relationships, one count of false imprisonment and one count of assault. His arraignment has been set for May 2.
This comes on the tail of a decision in January from the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, who declined to charge Urías with felony charges.
Urías, 27, was arrested by Exposition Park police on Sept. 3 after reports that he was allegedly engaged in a physical altercation with a woman outside of BMO Stadium after the end of an LAFC match. He was released on $50,000 bond the next morning.
Though details leading up to the confrontation remain unclear, the district attorney's office noted in January that Urías and the victim in the case were married at the time of the altercation.
"They engaged in an argument whereby the Defendant pushed the Victim against a fence and pulled her by the hair or shoulders," the DA's charges sheet explained. They determined that neither the injuries sustained by the victim, nor Urías' criminal history were enough to justify a felony filing.
He was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball following the arrest, ending his tenure with the Dodgers as he became a free agent at the end of the 2023 season.
At the time, the Dodgers issued a statement at the time, which read in part:
"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. We are fully cooperating with MLB's investigation and support MLB's and the Commissioner's enforcement of the policy."
Major League Baseball's investigation appears to be ongoing, meaning he could still face punishment from the league under their Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.
Urías was suspended for 20 games in 2019 over a separate domestic violence-related incident that happened in the parking lot of the Beverly Center in May of that year. In that instance, he was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery but no charges were ever filed.
In eight seasons with the Dodgers, Urías was 60-25 with a 3.11 ERA and 710 strikeouts over 717 innings pitched. He finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2022 and led the league in wins the season prior.