Urias faces charges

Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias has been charged with five misdemeanors stemming from his his arrest last September on suspicion of domestic violence, authorities said Tuesday. Urias, 27, faces charges including one count of spousal battery, two counts of domestic battery involving a dating relationship, one count of false imprisonment and one count of assault, according to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office. Arraignment is scheduled for May 2. Urias was placed on administrative leave indefinitely by MLB after his arrest outside BMO Stadium in Los Angeles where he attended a Major League Soccer game. Police were first alerted by a citizen who reported a man and woman were in a physical altercation. Urias was arrested by Department of Public Safety officers on felony suspicion of domestic violence. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office decided in January not to file felony charges and turned the case over to the city attorney to consider misdemeanors. According to a charge evaluation worksheet from the district attorney’s office, Urias was arguing with his wife when he “pushed [her] against a fence and pulled her by the hair or shoulders.” However, the document said, “Neither the Victim’s injuries nor the Defendant’s criminal history justify a felony filing.” Urias, 27, became a free agent after the World Series. He spent the first eight years of his career with the Dodgers. The leave was imposed under baseball’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy with the players’ association and can be the first step toward a suspension. Players are paid but cannot play while on leave. MLB said in a statement Tuesday that its investigation is ongoing but declined to comment further.