More than 18 months after Julio Urias most recently pitched in a major-league game, MLB has finally disciplined him for violating its domestic abuse policy.
Urias has been suspended through the 2025 All-Star break. He will be eligible to return on July 17. A free agent since the end of the 2023 season, Urias will be eligible to sign with any team at that point.
“The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball has completed its investigation into allegations that free agent pitcher Julio Urias violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement announcing the discipline. “Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Urías violated our Policy and that discipline is appropriate.”
Urias was placed on administrative leave in September 2023 as MLB investigated an incident involving Urias and his wife outside BMO Stadium following an LAFC game. Urias was arrested on Sept. 3 and eventually pleaded no contest to battery charges. He was placed on three years’ probation in April 2024, ordered to complete 30 days of community service and a 52-week counseling course on domestic violence.
This is the second time MLB has suspended Urias following an incident of domestic abuse. He was also suspended for 20 games following an incident in 2019.
Teams play varying numbers of games before the All-Star break. But Urias’ suspension will be the fourth-longest since MLB adopted its domestic violence policy in 2015. Trevor Bauer was suspended for 324 games in 2022. That discipline was ultimately reduced to 194 games on appeal. Sam Dyson was suspended for a full season in 2021. And Jose Torres was suspended for 100 games in 2018.
None of the three have returned to MLB since their suspensions though Bauer has very publicly lobbied for an opportunity while pitching in Japan and Mexico over the past two seasons.
Still just 28 years old, Urias was a rising star among National League pitchers, set to cash in on the free agent market following the 2023 season when his career was derailed by the second domestic violence incident.
Urias recorded the final out of the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series victory then was baseball’s only 20-game winner in 2021 when he went 20-3 with a 2.96 ERA. Urias finished third in the National League Cy Young Award in 2022 when he went 17-7 with an NL-leading 2.16 ERA.
The approach of free agency seemed to throw Urias off in 2023. He was just 11-8 with a 4.60 ERA in 21 starts before being placed on administrative leave.
There was speculation that Urias might surface in the Mexican League or winter ball before returning to MLB but he never did. The suspension by MLB could be an indication that Urias is planning to attempt a comeback.
As part of his suspension, Urias also agreed to evaluation by a policy board overseen jointly by MLB and the players’ union and to comply with any recommended treatment plan.