Fact Check: Is Julio Urias exiting MLB for Japan? Debunking the viral claim surrounding former Dodgers pitcher

Julio Urias is a free agent after leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers during an ensuing police and MLB investigation into allegations of domestic violence. The pitcher was put on administration leave in early September and hit free agency when his contract expired at the end of the season.

News recently broke that Urias was in talks with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and set to play in Japan in 2024. The story spread online across several publications, but the source of this report was not appropriately scrutinized and appears to have been fabricated by the troll account, @HanSeongJanNEWS.

"False report circulating from Mexican media that LHP Julio Urias is negotiating with NPB teams. The source of the information was a known troll account."

This misinformation obviously led to some confusion and awkwardness, but the crux of the matter is that at the time of writing, Julio Urias is not and has not been in talks with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

"A journalist with 17,000 followers reported the incident, and a YouTube channel with over 70,000 subscribers covered it extensively on a news program, but the source provided by the anchor of this program appears to be from South Korea. We are very sorry."

The next question regarding Urias concerns his MLB future, namely: can he make a return?

Julio Urias MLB rumors: Will the former Dodgers star return to the MLB?

In early January, the LA County District Attorney's Office announced that it would not file felony charges against Julio Urias. However, the case is being investigated by the LA City Attorney's Office for misdemeanor filing considerations.

The MLB is investigating the matter, but they will likely wait and examine the legal findings before reaching any decisions of their own.

According to ESPN, the DA's charge-evaluation worksheet noted that "Urias pushed the victim against a fence and 'pulled her by the hair or shoulders.'"

Urias was handed a 20-game suspension in 2019 for a domestic violence incident and the consensus is that the former Dodger will be hit with a lengthy ban. Jim Bowden of The Athletic wrote that he believes Urias will be ineligible to play in 2024, which likely puts any MLB return on hold.

At this stage, teams won't want to risk the fallout of signing a player who could cause a rift in the fanbase, be a headline distraction and potentially miss the entire 2024 season.

As such, it would be highly unexpected if an MLB team were to move for Urias at this time. Talks of a return will likely wait until after all investigations into his behavior have closed, and findings, penalties and suspensions have been announced.