The LA Dodgers virtually ‘cut off’ left-handed pitcher Julio Urias (27), who played a key role in winning the 2020 World Series. With his second domestic violence charge making it difficult for him to return for the rest of the season, his relationship with the Dodgers appears to be over.
안전놀이터Local media, including the US LA Times, reported that Urias’ locker room was emptied at the Dodger Stadium clubhouse ahead of the home game against the San Diego Padres on the 12th (Korean time). This position was taken by veteran infielder Colton Wong, who was called up earlier this month.
The LA Times reported that ‘Urias disappeared without a trace after the Dodgers returned from a six-game road trip,’ and that two large murals depicting Urias at the entrance to the left and right passages of Dodger Stadium were erased. All items related to Urias were sold at the merchandise stores within the stadium. Urias is on administrative leave after it was revealed that he was arrested on charges of domestic violence on the 4th, but the Dodgers are already losing money.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts could not hide his sadness. Before the game, Coach Roberts said about Urias’ missing locker, “I just found out. It is an organization-level decision. “It’s really sad in every way,” he said. Regarding whether these measures mean a breakup with Urias, Coach Roberts said, “I think so,” and added, “There’s not much I can say right now. “As I said on the first day, all I can say is that it is a very unfortunate and sad situation,” he said.
Urias was arrested by LA police around midnight on the 3rd local time. It was reported that Major League Soccer (MLS) Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) was seen having a physical altercation with a woman at LA’s BMO Stadium, and Urias, who was arrested around 1 a.m., was released on $50,000 bail. He was charged with Felony Injury to a Spouse, and the office is investigating the case. The trial date is set for the 28th.
After the fact became known, Urias was immediately excluded from the Dodgers’ away team, and the Major League Baseball Secretariat and Players Association decided to place Urias on administrative leave until further notice. The Dodgers canceled the Urias bobblehead giveaway event scheduled for the 22nd, and are taking a loss by removing all traces of him, including lockers and murals.
Urias was previously arrested by police in May 2019 for allegedly running over his girlfriend during an argument at a shopping mall. His girlfriend, who was the victim at the time, recanted her statement and said, “I simply fell,” and was not indicted. However, he was suspended for 20 games after being placed on administrative leave for 7 days by the office.
With such a ‘criminal record’, he was caught up in domestic violence again, making it difficult for the conservative Dodgers team to tolerate it any longer. If the charges are confirmed, Urias will become the first player to be disciplined for two or more violations since the labor-management agreement signed a treaty to prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse in August 2015.
Urias, a left-handed pitcher from Mexico, signed a contract with the Dodgers for $1.8 million in August 2012 when he was 16 years old. He was a top prospect that the Dodgers had been interested in since he was young, and when he suffered a shoulder injury after his 2016 debut, he was carefully managed with innings management. After completing his rehabilitation, he took over full-time in 2019, and shared his time on the mound as a saving pitcher in the 2020 World Series victory.
In his first full season as a starter in 2021, his potential exploded with 32 games (185⅔ innings), 20 wins, 3 losses, a 2.96 ERA, and 195 strikeouts. Last year, he ranked first in this category with 17 wins, 7 losses, and an average ERA of 2.16 in 31 games (175 innings), and took third place in the Cy Young Award. He entered the free agency season at the young age of 27 this year, but performed poorly with 11 wins, 8 losses, and an ERA of 4.60 in 21 games (117⅓ innings), and faced the biggest crisis of his career due to a second domestic violence charge.
With the breakup from the Dodgers, where he has played for eight years since his debut, confirmed, I wonder which team will reach out to the ‘problem child’. Urias’ agent is Scott Boras.