(Content warning: This story contains alleged depictions of domestic violence.)
Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías completed his domestic-violence suspension and will be reinstated by Major League Baseball on Thursday.
Once he is officially eligible to play again, Urías will look to continue his MLB career, agent Scott Boras told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
“He still has every intention to continue his career,” Boras said Monday. “He’s getting in shape. Obviously, he’ll have options that are open to him.”
Boras declined to get into specifics on the options or possible deals Urías has on the table. It’s believed multiple teams have checked in on Urías, per Shaikin.
Any team who signs Urías will have to wait some time before he’s ready to pitch in games. Urías reportedly needs to get in shape. It’s unclear if he could do that in time to return to the mound this season or if he would need the entire offseason to get back into baseball shape.
Urías, 28, hasn’t pitched in the majors since the 2023 MLB season. He posted a 4.60 ERA over 117 1/3 innings before he was suspended under the league’s domestic-violence policy that September. It marked the second time in his career Urías was suspended by the league under that policy. Urías received a 20-game suspension in 2019 after he was arrested and charged with domestic battery.
Urías served that suspension and returned to the team for the 2020 season. He was on the mound when the Dodgers won the World Series later that year, throwing a scoreless 2 1/3 innings to close out the contest.
He performed well for the team over the next two seasons, posting a 2.57 ERA over 360 2/3 innings and earning down-ballot Cy Young award votes in 2021 and 2022.
Urías was in the midst of an injury-riddled year when he received his second suspension from MLB in 2023. Urías was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence after allegedly getting into a physical altercation with his wife outside BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. That charge was eventually changed to five misdemeanors. Urías pleaded no contest to one of those charges. The other four were dropped.
In 2024, video emerged of the 2023 incident, which showed Urías shove his wife into a fence. Urías appeared to take a swing at his wife as the two were being separated by witnesses.
Urías’ contract ended after the 2023 season and he went unsigned in 2024 while the league continued to investigate the situation. In March, the league announced Urías would be suspended through the 2025 MLB All-Star break, paving the way for his expected reinstatement Thursday.
Read the full article here