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MLB Places Julio Urias On Administrative Leave

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Sept. 8: ESPN’s Paula Lavigne reports that the alleged altercation occurred outside BMO Stadium in downtown Los Angeles following a Major League Soccer game between LAFC and Inter Miami. Los Angeles Department of Public Safety assistant chief Chris Carr tells Lavigne that a civilian captured the incident on video, and said video is now in the possession of local law enforcement.

Sept. 6: Major League Baseball has placed Dodgers starter Julio Urías on administrative leave, according to a league announcement. That’s the standard procedure for players who are being investigated for a possible violation of the MLB/MLBPA domestic violence policy.

“Per an agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, Julio Urías has been placed on Administrative Leave until further notice as MLB continues its ongoing investigation,” the league said in a statement. “The administrative leave, which is effective immediately, is not disciplinary under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.  We will refrain from further comment until the appropriate time.”

Urías was arrested on a felony domestic violence charge on Sunday. He was released on bond and reportedly has a court date scheduled for September 27. The Dodgers announced on Monday that Urías would not be traveling with the team, though he technically counted against the club’s roster until today.

As the league noted, administrative leave is not a finding of fact nor a disciplinary action. It’s a jointly agreed upon measure between the league and players union that keeps the player off the field while MLB conducts its investigation. Players continue to be paid while on leave, though they would retroactively forfeit salary if MLB ultimately levies a suspension. The league can impose discipline even in the absence of a criminal conviction. Urías was suspended for 20 games for a violation of the domestic violence policy during the 2019 season.

The Dodgers now have an opening on the active and 40-man rosters. It seems they’ll fill the MLB spot by recalling right-hander Ryan Pepiot, who’d been optioned to Triple-A last week. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Juan Toribio of MLB.com) that Pepiot will take the ball tomorrow against the Marlins for what would’ve been Urías’ turn in the rotation.

Kershaw Will Continue To Pitch Through Shoulder Issue

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  • Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw still isn’t pitching at 100% following the shoulder strain that sent him to the injured list this summer, writes Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Kershaw didn’t reach 90 mph in his most recent start, and his average fastball velocity of just 88.4 mph in that outing was the second-lowest of any appearance in his career. Kershaw, however, is adamant that he can continue to pitch through the issue — and the Dodgers appear willing to let him do so. “If he is able to take the baseball, he’s going to take the baseball,” manager Dave Roberts said of the left-hander.

Multiple Clubs Had Pre-Deadline Interest In Tommy Pham

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Outfielder Tommy Pham was traded from the Mets to the Diamondbacks prior to the trade deadline but seemingly had plenty of interest around the league. Per a report from Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Twins, Yankees, Dodgers, Rays and Padres all had interest in him. That’s in addition to reported interest from other clubs, such as the Blue Jays, Rangers and Phillies.

Pham, 35, has had many strong seasons in his career but has been a bit inconsistent of late. From 2015 to 2019, he hit a combined .277/.373/.472 for a wRC+ of 130, producing above-average offense in each individual season. He struggled in 2020 by hitting .211/.312/.312, but there were reasons to expect that was a blip. That year was played in the unusual circumstances of the pandemic, with the season shortened to just 60 games. Pham also suffered a fractured hamate that year and only played 31 of those 60 contests.

He was able to get back on track somewhat in 2021, with a line of .229/.340/.383. Buoyed by a 13.9% walk rate, his wRC+ was 103, indicating he was 3% above league average. But last year, that walk rate dipped to 9% and his line of .236/.312/.374 resulted in a wRC+ of 90.

On the heels of that down year, the Mets were able to sign him to a one-year deal with a modest $6MM guarantee. They were likely intrigued by Pham’s continued excellent with the platoon advantage, as he still hit .273/.338/.446 against lefties despite the subpar season overall in 2022. That’s long been a strength for him, as he’s hit .271/.382/.456 against southpaws for his career as a whole.

The Mets were rewarded by seeing Pham bounce back into good form. In 79 games as a Met, he hit .268/.348/.472 for a wRC+ of 125, and he wasn’t limited to platoon work either. He produced solid work regardless of who was on the mound, slashing .255/.339/.532 against lefties and .277/.355/.431 versus righties. He hasn’t quite been able to carry that over to his new club, hitting .243/.290/.417 while striking out in a quarter of his trips to the plate. Although he was walking at an 11% clip with the Mets, that rate has dropped to just 5.6% with Arizona.

The fact that Pham had such widespread interest prior to the deadline would seem to bode well for him this winter. Even with his dip in results since the deal, his season-long offense translates to a wRC+ of 113, his highest such figure since 2019. His Statcast page features plenty of red, as he is in the 94th percentile in terms of average exit velocity and 92nd in hard hit rate. He’s also stolen 17 bases so far this year and is considered around league average in the field by both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average.

What might help Pham, beyond his own results, is the relative lack of impact bats available this winter. The upcoming free agent class leans heavily to the pitching side, which could give Pham and other hitters some leverage in finding deals to their liking.

Turning to those specific teams mentioned in today’s report, the Twins will have plenty of left-handed bats in their corner outfield/designated hitter mix next year, including Max Kepler, Edouard Julien, Matt Wallner, Alex Kirilloff, Andrew Stevenson and Trevor Larnach. The Rays love to play matchups and could fit Pham into a platoon with lefties like Josh Lowe, Luke Raley or Jonathan Aranda. The Yankees are currently giving playing time to younger guys like Jasson Domínguez and Everson Pereira but might want to add some veteran presence for next year. The Dodgers are about to see both David Peralta and Jason Heyward become free agents. The Padres have three outfielders in Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto and Trent Grisham but designated hitter has been a big hole all year thanks to the struggles of players like Nelson Cruz and Matt Carpenter.

Julio Urías Arrested On Domestic Violence Charges

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1:10pm: The Dodgers released the following statement: “We are aware of an incident involving Julio Urías. While we attempt to learn all the facts, he will not be traveling with the team. The organization has no further comment at this time.”

12:22pm: Dodgers left-hander Julio Urías was arrested and charged with felony domestic violence charges late last night, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The pitcher was booked late Sunday and released early this morning on $50K bond. Sam Blum of The Athletic reports that Urías was charged with “corporal injury on a spouse,” as relayed by his colleague Fabian Ardaya. Passan adds that Urías has a court date on September 27.

Urías, 27, has been pitching for the Dodgers since debuting in 2016. In 2019, he was arrested after reportedly shoving a female companion to the ground. He was placed on administrative leave at that time as the league began an investigation into the matter. The Los Angeles city attorney ultimately deferred prosecution in that matter, conditional on Urías completing a 52-week domestic violence counseling program, among other criteria. Under the joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy agreed to by Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, the league can impose discipline even in the absence of charges and Urías ultimately received a 20-game suspension.

The details of this latest incident aren’t clear at the moment, though it seems fair to expect a similar process to take place soon. Urías will likely be placed on administrative leave again as the league opens an investigation into this arrest. Administrative leave is not considered punitive and players continue to be paid and accrue service time while on leave, though both can be rescinded in the event of an eventual suspension. There’s no set length for administrative leave, which can last as long as an investigation into a matter takes.

Urías is slated for free agency at season’s end.

West Notes: Scherzer, Trout, Nola, Martinez

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Rangers ace Max Scherzer exited his start against the Twins after six innings yesterday due to what he described to reporters (including Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today) as a “little forearm tightness” and wasn’t sure he’d be able to pitch the seventh. That being said, Scherzer downplayed the severity of the issue, suggesting that his priority is to ensure that the issue doesn’t “turn into a forearm strain or Tommy John.”

Even though Scherzer downplays the issue, it’s surely worrisome for Rangers fans that he’s facing any issue at all. The veteran right-hander has posted a phenomenal 2.21 ERA (198 ERA+) and 2.48 FIP in his first six starts with the club since being acquired from the Mets ahead of the trade deadline back in July. With Jacob deGrom out for the year and Nathan Eovaldi on the injured list already, Scherzer will be key for a Rangers club looking to stay in a three-way race for the AL West crown that they were dominating earlier in the season, to say nothing of his importance as a key cog in their projected postseason rotation alongside fellow deadline acquisition Jordan Montgomery. In the event Scherzer misses a start or two while erring on the side of caution regarding his forearm, Texas could turn to right-hander Owen White or lefties Cody Bradford and Martin Perez to fill in for the future Hall of Famer when his turn in the rotation next comes up on Wednesday.

More from MLB’s West divisions…

  • Superstar Mike Trout spoke with reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) regarding the future of the Angels organization this afternoon. Anaheim, of course, waived a number of pending free agents including prized deadline addition Lucas Giolito earlier this week, effectively conceding the 2023 campaign in a failed bid to duck under the luxury tax threshold before the season ends. “There are going to be some conversations in the winter, for sure.” Trout said, “Just to see the direction of everything and what the plan is.” Trout refused to comment on the possibility of a trade when asked if he could imagine a scenario where he would ask to be moved, though with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani likely departing for free agency this offseason and a protracted rebuild potentially on the horizon for the Angels, it would certainly be understandable if the 32-year-old Trout wished to continue his career elsewhere in hopes of reaching a World Series.
  • Padres catcher Austin Nola has had a brutal year at the plate in 2023, slashing just .146/.260/.192 in 154 trips to the plate with San Diego. An explanation for those struggles has seemingly been uncovered, as Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune relays that Nola has been diagnosed with oculomotor dysfunction, an issue that impacts the brain’s ability to coordinate eye movement. Nola referenced Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo and his issues with post-concussion syndrome as a catalyst for his decision to discuss symptoms, which included fogginess and headaches, with the Padres. The Padres have been using a catching tandem of Gary Sanchez and Luis Campusano in recent weeks as Nola tried to work things out at the Triple-A level. Nola hopes to return to the field in the minors before the Triple-A season ends on September 24.
  • Dodgers slugger J.D. Martinez is trending toward a return to the big league club next weekend, per the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. Plunkett relays that Martinez will begin a brief rehab assignment at Triple-A later this week and in the meantime will take swings at Camelback Ranch in Arizona. Martinez, 35, has been on the injured list for the past two weeks due to groin tightness and was slashing .256/.309/.547 with 25 home runs and a 126 wRC+ in 390 trips to the plate before going on the shelf.

Dodgers Outright Tyson Miller

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The Dodgers have sent Tyson Miller outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. This is the second outright of his career, which means he has the right to reject the assignment and become a free agent. It is unclear if he plans to do so.

Miller began the season in the Brewers organization, appearing in seven games for the big league club. He was designated for assignment in July and subsequently traded to the Dodgers. He pitched just a single game for the L.A., ultimately getting DFA’d again and claimed off waivers by the Mets. However, his time in New York was similarly short-lived; he made only one appearance at the MLB level before he was DFA’d for the third time this season.

The Dodgers claimed Miller back, less than a month after they had let him go. He made a second appearance for the Dodgers, punctuated by his lone appearance with the Mets, tossing two scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks. However, he was DFA’d yet again the following day. Miller has already been optioned the maximum number of times this season, so it was the only choice L.A. had to remove him from the active roster. If he does accept the outright assignment, he will still have the chance to elect free agency at the end of the season.

Dodgers Outright Yonny Hernández

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The Dodgers have sent infielder Yonny Hernández outright to Triple-A, the team announced. The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for second baseman Kolten Wong, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Oklahoma City this afternoon.

Wong signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in mid-August, two weeks after he was released by the Mariners. He struggled tremendously during his time in Seattle, posting an uncharacteristically poor .468 OPS in 67 games. However, he has gone 7-for-16 with two doubles and a home run in five minor league games since joining the Dodgers organization. With active rosters expanding to 28 in September, the Dodgers have decided to give the veteran a try.

Hernández came to L.A. this past offseason in a trade with the Athletics. He has been recalled and subsequently optioned twice this year and has appeared in a total of 14 games for the big league club. The 25-year-old earned his second call-up in late June, when utility man Chris Taylor landed on the injured list. He stuck around for a month, slashing .143/.240/.190, until the Dodgers traded for Enrique Hernandez and Amed Rosario at the trade deadline. He has been playing at Triple-A ever since.

With such little MLB service time under his belt and no previous outrights in his career, Hernández was not able to reject the assignment. He will continue to play for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. However, he will have the opportunity to elect minor league free agency this offseason if he is not added back to the 40-man roster.

Walker Buehler To Begin Rehab Assignment

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Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, with Alden González of ESPN among those to relay word from manager Dave Roberts. The righty will make at least three rehab appearances before rejoining the big league club, the first of which will be around one or two innings.

Buehler, 29, is a potential difference-maker down the stretch for the Dodgers, both because of his previous levels of excellence and the challenges the club has faced in the rotation this year. From Buehler’s debut in 2017 through 12 starts last year, he owns a career earned run average of 3.02 in 638 1/3 innings. He struck out 27% of batters faced in that time while walking just 6.3% and keeping the ball on the ground at a 45.4% rate.

Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in August of last year, putting him on the shelf for the remainder of that campaign. It also was fair to wonder if he would be able to return at any point in 2023, given that the recovery period from that procedure usually pushes towards the vicinity of 14 months. However, he has said this year that he would target a return in September, which seems to still be on the table.

Roberts said Buehler returning as a reliever is not an option, so it seems the plan is for him to return as a starter, though he might not have enough time to be fully ramped up at first. His rehab will start with one to two innings, as mentioned, presumably building his pitch count gradually over a few more outings. He could then return to the big leagues in mid to late September, though perhaps still requiring some kind of bulk pitcher to come in behind him.

Even with some limitations, the Dodgers would surely be thrilled with whatever Buehler can provide. Their rotation has lost both Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin to season-ending surgeries, while Michael Grove is also on the injured list. They acquired Lance Lynn at the deadline and tried to add Eduardo Rodriguez as well, though he used his no-trade clause to block the deal and stay with the Tigers.

They currently have Lynn, Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías and Bobby Miller in four spots, with Ryan Yarbrough taking on bulk innings out of the bullpen. Younger pitchers like Emmet Sheehan, Ryan Pepiot and Gavin Stone are on the 40-man and have been bouncing on and off the active roster as needed.

The club is a lock to make the playoffs, as they have a 83-50 record and a 13.5-game lead in the National League West. That puts them nine games ahead of the Central-leading Brewers, making a first-round bye also a strong possibility. That should give them some flexibility with the remainder of their schedule to get a look at Buehler, who could jump into the postseason rotation if all goes according to plan in the next few weeks. Whether he’s still limited to short outings or has been fully stretched out by that point will be determined in the weeks to come. In 79 2/3 postseason innings for his career, he has a 2.94 ERA.

Returning before season’s end would also be good for Buehler personally. He is set to reach free agency after 2024, meaning he would surely love to finish this year strong before going into an important platform season.

Dodgers Likely To Select Kolten Wong

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The Dodgers are planning to select veteran second baseman Kolten Wong onto the big league roster tomorrow, reports J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register. He’ll take one of the expanded active roster spots. To fill the other role, Los Angeles will recall righty Emmet Sheehan from Triple-A (as first reported by Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 in Houston).

Wong joined the organization on a minor league pact a couple weeks ago. He didn’t spend much time in Triple-A. Wong played in just three games, collecting seven hits and a walk in 14 trips to the plate.

Before joining L.A., the veteran infielder had been struggling through the worst season of his career. Wong hit only .165/.241/.227 over 67 games with the Mariners. He struck out at a personal-high 21.3% clip and made hard contact on only around a quarter of batted balls — well below the 36% MLB average.

That offensive output would’ve been untenable even if Wong were continuing to defend at an elite level. Yet the two-time Gold Glove winner received slightly below-average grades from metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average over 513 1/3 innings. It was his second straight season with middling marks for his glovework, as Wong also played below his established level during his final year with Milwaukee.

While Wong’s glove has slipped as he’s gotten into his 30s, he was a productive hitter as recently as a year ago. The lefty-swinging infielder put up a .251/.339/.430 slash with 15 homers and 17 steals in 497 trips to the dish for the Brew Crew. The Dodgers will hope for something more closely approximating that form than his early-season work in Seattle.

Mookie Betts has played second base for the Dodgers lately. Wong can sometimes factor in when there’s a need for Betts to move back to the outfield. The Dodgers have Amed Rosario, Enrique Hernández and Chris Taylor as middle infield options off the bench, though that entire group hits from the right side.

There’s no financial risk for L.A. in bringing Wong up. The Mariners are on the hook for virtually all of his $10MM salary. The Dodgers will pay him just the prorated portion of the $720K league minimum for whatever time he spends on the MLB roster. He’ll be a free agent at year’s end.

While there’s no need for an active roster move, Los Angeles will need to make a corresponding 40-man transaction when Wong is officially promoted. The club filled the 40-man this afternoon by reinstating Shelby Miller from the 60-day injured list. The veteran righty has been out since late June because of a nerve issue in his neck. Miller has turned in 30 innings of 2.40 ERA ball out of Dave Roberts’ bullpen.

Dodgers Designate Tyson Miller For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced that they have recalled right-hander Ryan Pepiot, with fellow righty Tyson Miller designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Miller is out of minor league options, so a DFA was the only way to remove him from the active roster. Los Angeles’ 40-man count drops to 39.

Miller just rejoined the Dodgers via a waiver claim over the weekend. It was his second stint with L.A., as he’d also spent a few weeks at Chavez Revine in the midsummer. The Dodgers initially acquired Miller from the Brewers in a July trade. They waived him a few weeks thereafter and lost him to the Mets. Los Angeles brought him back on a waiver claim out of New York a few days ago.

Between the two stints, Miller has pitched only twice as a Dodger — once apiece in each stay. He has logged 15 1/3 innings through 10 outings this season overall, allowing eight runs with a 10:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Miller has pitched in parts of three MLB campaigns with five different organizations and owns a 6.97 ERA in 31 frames.

The 28-year-old has also had mixed results at the Triple-A level, where he carries a 4.77 ERA in 230 1/3 innings. Miller has fanned over a quarter of opponents at the top minor league stop but has walked just over 10% of batters faced. Despite the inconsistency, he’s continued to find interest on the waiver wire in recent months.

He’ll land back on waivers in the next couple days. Miller has cleared once before, so he’d have the right to become a free agent if he’s outrighted again.

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