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Julio Urias Reinstated From Administrative Leave

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TODAY: Urias has indeed been officially reinstated by Major League Baseball. Outfielder Kyle Garlick was optioned to create roster space.

As Passan noted yesterday, the Dodgers are not permitted to take punitive action against Urias. The league’s announcement makes clear that “the investigation into a matter covered by the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy continues.”

YESTERDAY, 10:19pm: MLB decided not to extend the leave period because it was unable to acquire access to video of the incident, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports. The player’s association and Urias were not willing to consent to an extended leave period. The investigation is still ongoing.

8:16pm: The Major League Baseball commissioner’s office is expected not to renew the administrative leave period of Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias when it expires tomorrow, according to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). It appears the team will return the 22-year-old to its active roster.

Urias was placed on seven-day administrative leave last Tuesday after his overnight arrest. Per reports, he was arrested on suspicion of “misdemeanor domestic battery” after witnesses saw him “shove” a female companion “to the ground.”

Under the terms of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, the commissioner has authority to place a player accused of a possible violation of the policy “on paid Administrative Leave for up to seven days while the allegations are investigated before making a disciplinary decision.” That placement, which removes a player from his team’s active roster but does not stop his paycheck, can be challenged “immediately.”

In past instances, commissioner Rob Manfred has issued successive, week-long leave periods. Why he has elected not to do so in this case is unknown at present. It could indicate that a decision on discipline has already been made, though the league office has typically taken quite a bit longer to allow facts to develop before provisionally clearing a player or issuing any fines or suspensions. It may instead simply reflect a decision by the commissioner that Urias ought to be allowed to play during the pendency of any further investigation, whether or not prompted by pushback from the player, team, or union.

We’ll need to await further word before it’s possible to assess the situation. For now, it seems that the 22-year-old pitcher will be eligible to return to his role with the team.

Dodgers To Place Kenta Maeda On 10-Day Injured List

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The Dodgers will place right-hander Kenta Maeda on the 10-day IL before tomorrow’s game, according to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).  Maeda’s placement caps off a busy day of roster-shuffling for the Dodgers, as the team also activated lefty Caleb Ferguson from the IL and sent catcher Rocky Gale and right-hander J.T. Chargois to Triple-A.  Prior to tomorrow’s game, the Dodgers will also call up utilityman Matt Beaty from Triple-A and select the contract of outfielder Kyle Garlick.

Maeda fouled a ball off his thigh in last night’s game, and the Dodgers are thusly putting him on the IL “as a precaution,” Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets.  Since the Dodgers have two off-days next week, it looks like Maeda will miss one start at the most while he recovers from what looks like a minor injury.

Los Angeles has deployed Maeda exclusively as a starting pitcher in 2019, and the righty has delivered his usual strong results.  Though nine starts and 51 1/3 innings, Maeda has a 3.51 ERA, 9.1 K/9, and 2.60 K/BB rate, numbers that are largely backed up by advanced metrics.  Maeda is inducing soft contact on 27% of his batted balls this season, the second-highest total of any qualified starter in the game.

A 28th-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2015 draft, Garlick will get his first MLB exposure after posting a 1.002 OPS over 136 PA for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season.  The 27-year-old Garlick has a .283/.341/.519 slash line through 1678 career minor league plate appearances.

MLB Places Julio Urias On Administrative Leave Following Arrest

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4:45pm: Urias has been placed on seven-day administrative leave, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). That’s standard procedure as the commissioner’s office gathers facts surrounding the incident, and it’s typical for that leave to be extended in multiple seven-day increments as the investigation is ongoing. Urias will be paid while on leave, though if he is ultimately punished in the form of a suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy, that pay and any service time accrued can be rescinded.

9:33am: Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias was arrested last night, according to a report from TMZ Sports. The 22-year-old was seen “arguing with a female companion” and allegedly “shoved her to the ground.”

Though the identity of the alleged victim is not known, Urias is said to have been arrested on suspicion of “misdemeanor domestic battery.” The report suggests that the victim denied any physical altercation, but that police made the arrest based upon eyewitness accounts and video evidence.

It’s obviously disturbing to learn of these allegations. Until more is known, it would be unwise to speculate on possible legal jeopardy or MLB punishment. The league has not yet announced anything regarding this matter, but it seems possible that it will be investigated under the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.

Rays Acquire Travis d’Arnaud

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6:26pm: This move is now official. Infielder Matt Duffy was shifted to the 60-day injured list to create 40-man space; the team will wait to make a corresponding active roster move.

6:03pm: The Rays have struck a deal with the Dodgers to acquire catcher Travis d’Arnaud, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Cash considerations will go to Los Angeles in return.

This represents the continuation of d’Arnaud’s already disjointed season. After working back to health in the wake of Tommy John surgery, he opened up as the Mets’ backup backstop but was dumped at a surprisingly early juncture.

The Dodgers signed the out-of-options d’Arnaud as a righty bench bat with designs on trying him at other positions, but instead pivoted quickly to today’s move. d’Arnaud is now slated to help fill in while the Rays deal with injuries to their top two backstops (Mike Zunino and Michael Perez).

Perhaps it’s not surprising to see these organizations showing interest in d’Arnaud as a fill-in and possible bounceback performer. He was long considered quite talented and has at times been a quality-hitting catcher. Best of all, the New York club is on the hook for d’Arnaud’s $3.52MM salary (less a pro-rated portion of the league minimum) so it’s a virtual free-ride for other outfits.

There’s no reason to think that the Dodgers soured on d’Arnaud after watching him take just one plate appearance, though perhaps they weren’t enthralled by what they saw when they worked him out at first base and left field. Perhaps the team was simply willing to let him go because there was a clear opportunity for him in Tampa Bay and because it was just as interested in utilizing other players to fill out the roster.

White Sox Acquire Paulo Orlando

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The White Sox announced today that they have acquired outfielder Paulo Orlando from the Dodgers. He has been assigned to Triple-A Charlotte.

The return isn’t know, but it’s likely a deal for cash considerations. Orlando had been serving as depth in the Los Angeles organization after signing a minors deal over the winter.

Orlando, 33, appeared in each of the past four seasons with the Royals but failed to reach 100 plate appearances in 2017 and 2018. He’s a .263/.289/.384 hitter over 918 plate appearances at the game’s highest level.

James Loney Retires

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Veteran first baseman James Loney, who’d launched a comeback bid when he signed with the Atlantic League’s Sugar Land Skeeters, announced his retirement from baseball Friday.

It’s been three years since Loney, now 35, appeared in a big league game. His last Major League work came in 2016 when he batted .265/.307/.397 through 366 plate appearances with the Mets. Loney had a brief stint with the Korea Baseball Organization’s LG Twins, did not play in 2018 and appeared in just 11 games with the Skeeters this season before today’s announcement.

Although it’s been a bit since Loney was prominent in Major League Baseball, he’s still a well-known name to most fans thanks to a solid 11-year run at the MLB level. Selected by the Dodgers with the 19th overall pick in the 2002 draft, Loney debuted as a 21-year-old less than four years later and quickly solidified himself as a viable long-term piece in Los Angeles. He hit .284/.342/.559 in 111 plate appearances during that rookie effort and followed it up with a brilliant .331/.381/.538 showing in 375 plate appearances during the 2007 season.

That cemented Loney’s place in the L.A. lineup, and while his bat never matched that lofty standard again, he was a solid offensive presence for the Dodgers over the next four years, consistently hitting for average with quality on-base skills and one of the game’s lowest strikeout rates. In parts of seven seasons with his original organization, Loney hit .284/.341/.423 all while providing the Dodgers with above-average defense at first base.

Loney struggled in a brief run with the Red Sox after being included in 2012’s epic Adrian Gonzalez/Carl Crawford/Josh Beckett blockbuster and settled for a one-year deal with the Rays in hopes of rebuilding his stock. He did just that. Loney turned in a .299/.348/.430 performance with his characteristically strong glovework in his first season with Tampa Bay, and he parlayed that success into a three-year, $21MM deal to remain with the Rays. He’d give Tampa Bay a second season of above-average output before struggling in year two of that pact and eventually being released prior to the final season of the deal. It was at that point that Loney latched on for what now proved to be his final season — the aforementioned Mets run.

All told, Loney logged 1443 games in the Majors and hit .284/.336/.410 with 108 home runs, 267 doubles, 21 triples, 38 stolen bases, 528 runs scored and another 669 knocked in. Beyond that, Loney was a monster in the postseason, hitting .350/.429/.525 through 91 plate appearances across parts of eight different series (mostly with the Dodgers). Between his first-round bonus and his 11 seasons in the Majors, Loney racked up more than $38MM in career earnings.

Dodgers Release Josh Smoker, Ezequiel Carrera

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The Dodgers released lefty Josh Smoker and outfielder Ezequiel Carrera from their Triple-A club, as first indicated on the Pacific Coast League’s transactions log.

Neither has performed well to start the season in Oklahoma City, as Smoker has been tagged for 14 runs on 20 hits and nine walks with 11 strikeouts in 14 innings of work thus far. Carrera, meanwhile, is hitting .172/.250/.207 — albeit through just 32 plate appearances over the course of 10 games.

Smoker, 30, spent the 2018 campaign with the Pirates and Tigers, pitching to a strong 3.38 ERA in with a 50-to-16 K/BB ratio in 45 1/3 innings of Triple-A ball. He allowed seven runs in 7 1/3 innings at the MLB level, however. Smoker averaged 95 mph on his fastball in 71 2/3 big league innings from 2016-17 with the Mets, but his heater dipped a couple miles per hour in last year’s brief stint.

Carrera, 31, has tallied more than four years of MLB service time across parts of seven big league seasons but hasn’t been in the Majors since 2017 with the Blue Jays. He’s a career .262/.324/.365 hitter with 19 homers, 45 doubles, nine triples and 44 steals through 508 games and just over 1300 MLB plate appearances. He’s logged at least 740 innings at all three outfield positions over the course of his Major League career.

Latest On Dodgers’ Plans For Travis d’Arnaud

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It was at least a mite curious when the Dodgers decided to add backstop Travis d’Arnaud over the weekend. There’s additional clarity now to the team’s thinking, as J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register reports.

d’Arnaud joins fellow catchers Austin Barnes and Russell Martin on the active roster in Los Angeles. Some teams go with three receivers, at least for stretches, but it doesn’t appear that the Dodgers anticipate giving him much time behind the plate.

Manager Dave Roberts says that the team envisions utilizing d’Arnaud at first base and in left field. It’s a whole new world for the 30-year-old, who has logged exactly nine MLB innings in the field without a mask on. (He appeared briefly at second and third base in 2017.) d’Arnaud also played two games at first base in the minors, but has yet to line up on the outfield grass.

It’ll be interesting to see how this all shakes out. Having an experienced backstop available will help increase Roberts’s flexibility in making late-game decisions, even if the club doesn’t expect to lean heavily on d’Arnaud while he learns a whole new staff. And it’s quite nice to have him on hand as an added depth piece to help account for any injuries.

If d’Arnaud can rediscover his former form with the bat and learn some new positions along the way, he could end up being a rather interesting asset for the Dodgers. If things don’t shake out as hoped over the next several weeks, the club can reassess the health status of A.J. Pollock and scan the trade market if there’s a need for another right-handed bat.

A.J. Pollock Likely Out Until July

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Dodgers outfielder A.J. Pollock is slated for a minimum six-week shut-down after undergoing elbow surgery, he told reporters including Pedro Moura of The Athletic (via Twitter). He’ll likely need a ramp-up period thereafter, almost certainly pushing his return to the majors into the month of July.

Fortunately, it does not sound as if there’s much reason to fear ongoing physical problems. The procedure addressed a staph infection in his right elbow, but that’s healing nicely so far. The present timeline is based upon the catheter that was set in his biceps muscle in the other arm in order to treat the infection.

The Dodgers don’t seem inclined at this point to go searching for another right-handed-hitting outfielder to fill in for Pollock. Instead, Travis d’Arnaud was signed to function as a third catcher and bench bat. There are certainly enough pieces on hand to fill the void in the outfield, even if the club is now down a key cog. Chris Taylor seems sure to receive ample action, while the lefty-swinging Alex Verdugo and Joc Pederson will likely also get more chances.

Dodgers To Sign Travis d’Arnaud

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The Dodgers have agreed to a one-year deal with catcher Travis d’Arnaud, tweets Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times. Castillo adds via Twitter that infielder Matt Beaty has been optioned to Triple-A to make room for the former Mets backstop, who was released Friday after he was designated for assignment. Because he was released, his former club is on the hook for all of the $3.515MM contract he signed in the offseason, while the Dodgers will pay him at the league-minimum rate.

For the time being, the Dodgers will move forward with a trio of catchers on the active roster, with d’Arnaud joining Austin Barnes and Russell Martin in Los Angeles. That combination has provided the Dodgers with solid production, so don’t expect d’Arnaud to supplant either incumbent behind the plate. Interestingly, though, manager Dave Roberts said that he plans to deploy d’Arnaud not only as a catcher, but also in the infield and outfield. In his 7-year Major League career, d’Arnaud has never played the outfield and has appeared in just one game at both second and third base. Of course, both Martin and Barnes have experience playing the infield, so perhaps they are more viable candidates to move into a utility role.

With outfielder A.J. Pollock undergoing elbow surgery after he was placed on the 10-day IL, manager Dave Roberts and company found themselves in need of an additional right-handed bat. Without Pollock, the Dodgers’ starting outfield consists of Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, and Alex Verdugo, all lefties. Chris Taylor is the only other bench bat capable of playing the outfield, so the addition of d’Arnaud could afford Roberts additional flexibility to rest his lefty bats against southpaws: Taylor and Enrique Hernandez could slide to the outfield, with one of Barnes, Martin, and d’Arnaud filling an infield spot. This would allow for righty-dominant lineups with a host of left-handed batters available off the bench.

His new club will look for d’Arnaud to return to the form he showed in the 2015 season, when he hit 12 home runs in just 67 games to go along with a career-best .825 OPS. Notably, d’Arnaud has played more than 100 games in a season just twice in his career. Injuries have represented a repeated source of frustration for the veteran, including last year, when a partial UCL tear cost him all but 4 games of his age-29 campaign. Perhaps the Dodgers hope that reducing the number of innings d’Arnaud spends behind the plate will reduce his risk of injury and allow him to contribute throughout the year.

Regardless, it’s a low-risk transaction for the Dodgers, who have to spend virtually nothing to get a player who could pay dividends if he proves capable of playing several positions while hitting capably. If A.J. Pollock returns from injury in a timely fashion or d’Arnaud doesn’t pan out, the Dodgers aren’t obligated to keep him around, with Barnes and Martin holding down the fort behind the plate.

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