Q&A: What’s next for Julio Urillas and the Dodgers after his arrest
Julio Urías has delivered the most important pitch for the Dodgers in the past 35 seasons. It was the third blow that decided the 2020 World Championships. Urías squatted down, pounded his fists, and then looked up at the sky.
It was a high point for a player who nearly squandered his chance with the Dodgers. A year and two months before the Dodgers won that championship, Urreas was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor home battery. He was not charged with a crime, but was suspended for 20 games for violating baseball’s policy on domestic violence.
On Sunday, Urreas was arrested again on suspicion of felony domestic violence. He has not been charged with a crime. The Dodgers are in Miami this week, but Urius is not with the team.
After winning the World Series, Lloris appeared to be the Dodgers heir to Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born star of a team with a huge Latino fan base that remained loyal to the Dodgers after Valenzuela retired. Valenzuela retired as a legend, and this year the team retired its official number. The number “34” will never adorn the back of another Dodgers player.
Uriah will likely leave the team in disgrace, and the “could have owned the town” narrative shouldn’t overshadow the fact that he’s been cited for domestic violence twice in the space of five years.
FAQs on where the Dodgers and Major League Baseball go from here:
Urillas will not travel with the team, but he has not been suspended. How does this make sense?
The next step will be for the league to put Ureas on administrative leave, which could happen on Wednesday. Under the administrative furlough, players continue to receive their wages, but are removed from the squad list until the league can investigate.
The suspension decision will come after the completion of the investigation. Players are not paid while suspended.
How long can Eurys stay on administrative leave?
The league can place a player on administrative leave for seven days, after which the players association must agree to any extension. Former Dodgers outfielder Trevor Bauer has been on administrative leave for the last three months of the 2021 season and the first month of the 2022 season.
Trevor Bauer, who started out for the Dodgers on June 28, 2021, never played for the team again after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman.
(Jay Si Hong / Associated Press)
Failing an agreement, the league could reinstate Urias while investigative and legal proceedings continue, and allow the Dodgers to impose any discipline or place the player on a paid suspension “pending resolution of a criminal or legal claim”. These payments must be returned if the league eventually issues a disciplinary suspension.
Ureas is scheduled to appear in court on September 27.
Do police and prosecutors work with MLB?
not necessarily. The criminal investigation and the periodic investigation are separate. Al-Douri prefers to obtain information from the criminal investigation before deciding whether to suspend, but Al-Douri cannot request such cooperation.
Under baseball policy, the commissioner has the right to suspend a player for violating the policy even if the player is not charged with a crime. From the policy: “A single incident of offensive behavior … may subject a player to discipline.”
Bauer was investigated for sexual assault, but the Los Angeles County District Attorney did not charge him with a crime. However, Bauer was suspended from MLB for two seasons, which was reduced by an arbitrator to 194 games.
Can the Dodgers release you?
no. The policy negotiated between the league and the association forbids teams to act unilaterally unless a player is unable to perform due to an injury or is in court or in jail as a result of a policy violation.
If Uriahs is suspended 20 matches for the first offense under this policy, how long can the ban last for the second offense?
If the player tests positive for performance-enhancing drugs, he will be suspended for 80 games for the first offense and one season for the second offense. If the player tests positive for doping, he will be suspended for 50 matches for the first offense and 100 matches for the second offense.
However, in the policy governing domestic violence and sexual assault, there are no specific periods for suspension. The league and federation, who work with experts in the field of domestic violence and sexual assault, wanted to tailor suspensions to the specific circumstances of each case, looking at treatment and education as well as sanctioning players subject to discipline.
Suspensions under the policy ranged from 15 to 194 games. If the circumstances of Urias’ detention this time are similar to those of the previous time, it is logical that the suspension for a second crime would be longer, but the criminal investigations and the investigations of the league are continuing.
The player can negotiate the length of the suspension if he agrees not to appeal. The player can also appeal the suspension to an arbitrator, as Bauer did.
The Dodgers start the playoffs next month. Will the suspension — or administrative leave — carry over into the playoffs?
Yes.
What will happen after the season?
Uriah’s contract expires and he becomes a free agent. Any team can sign him, but any bans that extend into next season must be served before he can appear in any matches.
