Dodger pitcher Julio UrÃas remained on administrative leave from Major League Baseball Thursday, as limited details slowly emerged about the circumstances that led to his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence.
UrÃas was arrested late Sunday night by Exposition Park police following a much-publicized soccer match between LAFC and Inter Miami — featuring star Lionel Messi — at BMO Stadium.
According to a report released Thursday by Exposition Park police and obtained by the Los Angeles Times, a witness flagged down police Sunday night and reported a man attacking a woman nearby. Officers then approached the man and woman and “determined a physical altercation involving” the pair had occurred, leading to UrÃas’ arrest, The Times reported.
Specific details were not released by the agency.
TMZ, citing unnamed sources, reported that UrÃas was seen pushing a woman into a fence at or near the stadium, and stadium workers initially broke up the altercation. He and the woman then got into a car nearby, where the altercation re-ignited, prompting police to take the pair out of the vehicle and arrest UrÃas, the website reported.
The 27-year-old starter, who led the National League in wins in 2021 and earned run average in 2022, was released early Monday on $50,000 bond. A tentative court date was set for Sept. 27.
This was his second arrest for domestic violence. UrÃas was suspended 20 games for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy in 2019.
Major League Baseball announced Wednesday that UrÃas had been placed on administrative leave pending a league investigation. The Dodgers issued a statement saying the team was cooperating fully with the probe.
“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 said.
UrÃas — on the cusp of free agency — is 11-8 this season with a 4.60 earned-run average. He began his Major League career with the Dodgers in 2016, and has a lifetime record of 60-25 with a 3.11 ERA.
He was suspended in 2019 by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for an incident in the parking lot of the Beverly Center on May 13 of that year. TMZ reported that a witness called police saying that UrÃas was arguing with a woman and shoved her to the ground. Officers responded to the scene and spoke with the woman, who denied anything physical took place, insisting it was nothing more than a heated argument.
UrÃas was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery in that incident, but no charges were filed.