LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has decided against filing felony charges against former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias. The office stated in its charge-evaluation worksheet that the severity of the victim’s injuries and Urias’ criminal history do not warrant a felony filing.
The case will now be referred to the City Attorney’s Office for consideration of misdemeanor charges. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball (MLB) will likely wait for the City Attorney’s Office’s ruling before potentially imposing a suspension on Urias.
Urias, who is currently a free agent, previously served a 20-game suspension by MLB in August 2019 following an arrest for misdemeanor domestic battery. However, he was not criminally charged in connection with that incident. If Urias receives another suspension, he would be the first repeat offender under the league’s domestic violence policy, which was introduced in August 2015.
The 27-year-old pitcher was arrested on September 3 for felony domestic violence, prompting MLB to place him on administrative leave and effectively end his season. The altercation took place in the parking lot of BMO Stadium after an LAFC soccer match. An eyewitness reported seeing Urias physically involved in an altercation with his wife. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and was released on $50,000 bail the following morning.
The California Highway Patrol’s major crimes division conducted a thorough investigation over the next three months before handing the case over to the District Attorney’s Office on December 11. According to the charge-evaluation worksheet, Urias allegedly pushed the victim against a fence and pulled her by the hair or shoulders.
Urias, who was signed by the Dodgers from Mexico at the age of 16, emerged as a promising pitching prospect and made his mark as a rookie in 2016. Despite major shoulder surgery, he returned to become a key player for championship-level teams, including recording the final out of the 2020 World Series. In 2021, he achieved 20 wins and finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting in 2022.
Prior to the incident, Urias was expected to secure a lucrative contract in excess of $200 million as a young free agent. However, regardless of the absence of a criminal conviction, his MLB future now appears to be in jeopardy.