ATLANTA _ Major League Baseball announced Saturday that Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias accepted a 20-game suspension stemming from his May arrest on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery. The five games Urias missed while on administrative leave are included in the suspension, meaning he will miss 15 more games without pay.
"Since May, I have been fully cooperating with both law enforcement and MLB," Urias said in a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players' Association. "Although the authorities determined no charges of any kind were warranted, I accept full responsibility for what I believe was my inappropriate conduct during the incident.
"Even in this instance where there was no injury or history of violence, I understand and agree that Major League players should be held to a higher standard. I hold myself to a higher standard as well."
Dodgers team president Stan Kasten said Urias will report to the club's spring training facility at Camelback Ranch and return to the team after his suspension. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the left-hander is eligible to go on a rehab assignment Aug. 27.
"This is a program that is collaborative between the union and the baseball; I'm very comfortable accepting their judgment about what should happen here," Kasten said.
Urias was arrested May 13 at the Beverly Center after witnesses told police he shoved the woman he was with, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The woman, however, told investigators she fell in the parking lot while they argued.
Urias, who turned 23 on Monday, was placed on paid administrative leave the next day. The commissioner's office reinstated Urias a week later _ the maximum period before the league must request an extension for the leave 1 in coordination with the players assn.
In June, city prosecutors announced they would not file charges against Urias and no action would be taken in connection with the report, as long as he is not arrested again for violent criminal behavior in the next year and he participated in a 52-week domestic violence counseling program in person. MLB's investigation, however, remained open as Urias continued pitching.
Urias posted a 2.06 earned-run average in 39 1/3 innings after his arrest. He logged a three-inning save in Friday's win over Atlanta, knowing his suspension was imminent. Urias met with Kasten, Friedman and manager Dave Roberts after the game. Kasten said Urias expressed remorse.
"He understands the gravity of things like this," Kasten said. "He's going to work hard to move forward, learn from this, improve. We hope so and if that is how he feels, we will be here to help him as anyone, I would think, would expect us to do."
