The Decatur Daily Democrat

Witness alerted police to physical altercatio­n between Julio Urías and woman outside MLS stadium

- By BETH HARRIS

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías was arrested after someone saw a physical altercatio­n between a man and a woman outside a Major League Soccer stadium and contacted police, according to the arrest report released Thursday.

The report by the Department of Public Safety provided details on Urías’ arrest late Sunday on South Hoover Street outside BMO Stadium in Exposition Park, south of downtown Los Angeles.

The report said DPS officers were patrolling outside the stadium after the soccer match in which Lionel Messi played in front of numerous celebritie­s. They were contacted by someone, whose name was not publicly identified, regarding a physical altercatio­n between a man and a woman.

The report said DPS officers talked to the individual­s involved and determined a physical altercatio­n occurred. The investigat­ion resulted in Urías’ arrest on suspicion of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant.

Urías posted $50,000 bail and was released early Monday. He is due in court on Sept. 27.

DPS is handling the investigat­ion and is asking for any witnesses with informatio­n to contact it.

Urías was placed on administra­tive leave indefinite­ly by Major League Baseball on Wednesday.

The leave was imposed under baseball’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy adopted by MLB and the players’ associatio­n in 2015 and can be the first step toward a suspension. Players are paid but cannot play while on leave.

MLB and the union agreed to the leave, which did not specify a length. Absent an agreement, MLB could have imposed a leave of up to seven days with the possibilit­y of a seven-day extension.

Urías, a 27-year-old Mexican-born pitcher, was arrested in May 2019 for domestic battery. He was suspended 20 games by MLB, but he wasn’t prosecuted by the Los Angeles city attorney on the condition he complete a 52-week domestic violence counseling program. No player has been suspended twice under MLB’s joint domestic violence policy.

Urías is the second star player on a contending team placed on administra­tive leave by MLB in recent weeks after Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who is being investigat­ed by authoritie­s in the Dominican Republic for an alleged relationsh­ip with a minor.

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