The Los Angeles Dodgers received some bad news late Monday night and Tuesday morning when young pitcher Julio Urias was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence for an incident that occurred in the Beverly Center parking lot.
While there are still a lot of facts to be gathered in regards to how severe the incident was and what actions need to be taken, MLB has placed Urias on seven-day administrative leave. The league will now continue with the process of investigating the matter.
“We are aware of the incident and are in the process of gathering facts,” MLB said in a statement prior to placing Urias on leave. Commissioner Rob Manfred can extend the seven-day period should the league deem it necessary.
Urias posted the $20,000 bail early Tuesday morning, but with the arrest, it will now but up to Manfred’s office to decide if he violated MLB’s domestic violence policy, and what punishment may stem from it.
MLB has put #Dodgers P Julio Urias on 7-day administrative leave after his arrest on suspicion of domestic battery, The Times has learned.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) May 14, 2019
Past suspensions under the new domestic violence policy that was established in 2016 have ranged from 15 to 100 games. Manfred also decides on the length of suspensions.
Some of the recent rulings have included Roberto Osuna, who received a 75-game ban in 2018 while he was with the Toronto Blue Jays after an arrest on suspicion of assault; and Chicago Cubs infielder Addison Russell, who received a 40-game suspension in 2018 after his ex-wife accused him of physical and emotional abuse.
Russell returned to the Majors last week with the Cubs, and Osuna has since been traded to the Houston Astros.
The Dodgers have taken a hard stance on domestic violence issues in the past, most notably pulling out of a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Aroldis Chapman at the 2015 Winter Meetings after it was reported he was involved in a domestic dispute.
To this point, the Dodgers’ only comment on the situation came Tuesday morning. “We learned about the alleged incident this morning and are in the process of gathering information,” they said in a statement.
“As a result, we have no comment at this time regarding the incident. However, every allegation of domestic violence must be taken seriously and addressed promptly, and we will cooperate fully with the authorities and Major League Baseball to ensure that that happens in this case.”
Per the collective bargaining agreement, the Dodgers cannot act independently or impose disciplinary action during the league’s investigation.
