MLB places Urias on leave amid domestic violence charge

The Mexican left-hander didn't travel with the Dodgers to Miami this week after he was arrested Sunday night outside BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, where he had watched the Major League Soccer match between LAFC and Inter Miami.

He was taken into custody on charges of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, which can be filed as a felony or misdemeanour, and released Monday on a $50,000 bond.

Booking records showed he was scheduled to appear in court on September 27.

"Per an agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, Julio Urias has been placed on Administrative Leave until further notice as MLB continues its ongoing investigation," MLB said in a statement.

"The administrative leave, which is effective immediately, is not disciplinary under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. We will refrain from further comment until the appropriate time."

A player on administrative league is still paid but is removed from a team's roster.

MLB can unilaterally place a player on administrative leave for seven days under the joint domestic violence policy and the leave can be renewed with approval of the MLB Players Association.

"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 Dodgers said in a statement of their own.

"We are fully cooperating with MLB's investigation and support MLB's and the Commissioner's enforcement of the policy."

Authorities have given few details of the incident that led to the charge, but a spokesperson for Exposition Park, where BMO Field is located, said Wednesday that he was arrested when officers of the Exposition Park Department of Public Safety had probable cause to believe he attacked a woman.

Urias was involved in a May 2019 incident at a mall parking lot in Beverly Hills where he was accused of shoving a woman to the ground.

While he was not prosecuted over the matter, Urias was suspended for 20 games for violating MLB's domestic violence policy.

Urias, who helped the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series, had the best record in the National League in 2021 at 20-3, and last year had the lowest earned-run average in the NL at 2.16 while going 17-7.

Urias is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.