The suspension of former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías ends Wednesday. The next day, Major League Baseball will remove him from its restricted list, and any team that wishes to sign him can do so.
Scott Boras, the agent for Urías, said the pitcher — the only player suspended twice for violating baseball’s policy on domestic violence and sexual assault — hopes to resume playing.
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“He still has every intention to continue his career,” Boras said here Monday. “He’s getting in shape. Obviously, he’ll have options that are open to him.”
Boras declined to discuss any of those potential options Monday, since the suspension has not yet expired. It is believed that multiple teams have checked in on Urías, but it is uncertain whether a deal would be struck and, if so, he might be able to help a major league team.
“It depends on how teams view the situation and view his skill,” Boras said.
Boras said Urías has not pitched this year and would need time to work into major league shape. How much time he needs could determine whether he could help a team later this season or would need to aim for next season.
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Urías, 28, last pitched for the Dodgers in 2023. He is completing a half-season suspension for domestic violence, levied after a witness video obtained by The Times showed he charged his wife in a September 2023 incident outside BMO Stadium, pulled her hair aside and shoved her against a fence. After the two were separated, the video showed Urias swinging at her with his left hand.
Urías was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence, but the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office determined that “neither the victim’s injuries nor the defendant’s criminal history justify a felony filing.” The city attorney’s office subsequently filed five misdemeanor charges against Urías. He pleaded no contest to one, the other four were dropped, and he agreed to enter a yearlong domestic violence treatment program.
He also agreed to complete a similar program in 2019, when he was arrested after an incident in the Beverly Center parking lot. Witnesses said he pushed his fiancee, she said she fell, and no charges were filed.
The league subsequently suspended him for 20 games. Under its policy, the league can suspend a player even if no charges are filed.
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Urías was placed on administrative leave for the final month of the 2023 season, after which his contract with the Dodgers expired and he became a free agent.
He has not pitched since then.
Urías recorded the final out of the Dodgers’ World Series championship in 2020. He led the National League in victories (20) in 2021 and earned-run average (2.16) in 2022.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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