Los Angeles Dodgers

MLB legend Sandy Koufax is joining Jackie Robinson ... as the only Dodgers to get a statue at Dodger Stadium.

The team has confirmed they will be unveiling the statue for the 2020 season -- honoring one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. The statue will be a part of the $100 million renovation to the stadium.

In fact, the Dodgers will be moving the Jackie Robinson statue from the Reserve Level to the new entertainment plaza to be placed next to the Koufax piece, according to Sports Net L.A. reporter Alanna Rizzo.

Unclear what the statue will look like ... the Dodgers are expected to address the media about it later Tuesday.

Koufax -- famously dubbed "the Left Arm of God" -- won 3 Cy Young awards and 4 World Series titles during his career with the Blue Crew.

"Kike, my grandmother's bigger than you!"

Dodgers stud Kike Hernandez was hit with that and more by hecklers when he stepped into the batter's box Thursday night ... but he had the best response EVER to it ...

A MOONSHOT HOME RUN AND SOME BLOWN KISSES!!!

Here's the deal, the Dodgers had just taken a 9-8 lead in the 9th inning against the Rockies in Colorado when Hernandez was asked to pinch hit with two runners on.

Some fans immediately began to ride him ... with one saying, "Kike, you're small as sh*t! Boom."

Of course, Hernandez immediately proceeded to pump a Wade Davis fastball 400-plus feet to dead center of Coors Field ... and when he got back to home plate -- he made sure the hecklers knew about it.

Twitter user @Jomboy_ has the hilarious breakdown of it all ... for real, it's a must watch.

Bryce Harper, Christian Yelich and Nolan Arenado ... you are NOT better than Cody Bellinger, so says Jerry Hairston Jr., who tells TMZ Sports the Dodgers star is the 2nd best player in the MLB!!

"Outside of Mike Trout, he's the best player in baseball," the former World Series champ says ... "I think he will be the MVP."

Of course, Belli is in the middle of an EPIC season ... dude has 25 home runs, 62 RBIs and is batting .353 -- but most baseball experts still have him outside of the MLB's ultra-elite.

But, Hairston tells us Bellinger not only deserves to be in the top 5 ... he's No. 2 just behind Trout, saying, "I really believe it."

"He does everything well. He's right there with Mike. Cody is awesome."

We also spoke with the former Dodgers stud about Walker Buehler ... and Hairston says he's a true ace now -- but he tells us why the 24-year-old still ain't better than Clayton Kershaw yet!

Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias just caught a major break in his domestic violence case -- 'cause he won't be prosecuted if he takes care of some business.

The L.A. City Attorney's Office tells TMZ Sports ... Urias will NOT be charged with domestic violence, but only if he completes certain requirements first. We're told he needs to participate in an informal hearing before the City Attorney, which brings in both parties to talk things out.

Urias also must not commit any acts of violence against anyone, while also being required to complete a 52-week DV counseling program in person. If Urias doesn't keep his nose clean for a year, the City Attorney's Office reserves the right to prosecute him on this case.

As we reported ... Urias was arrested last month in L.A. after witnesses saw him getting into an argument with a woman, allegedly shoving her around. When cops arrived, the woman denied anything physical had taken place.

The elite commercial crimes division of LAPD met with the L.A. Dodgers recently to give advice on how to avoid being hit by scumbag burglars ... and the message was simple, STOP FLEXING ONLINE!!!

It's not exactly rocket science ... cops say criminals are targeting high profile people who are showing off their valuables on social media -- and with athletes, it ain't hard for the bad guys to find out when they're on the road.

We've already reported on burglary crews who have targeted homes belonging to Dodgers, Rams, Lakers and other major stars living in L.A.

Of course, the LAPD advised the players to beef up their private security and make sure their homes are being monitored during road trips and vacations.

But, the bigger message was clear ... stop baiting the criminals by showing off what's inside your homes!!!

Magic Johnson doesn't have a reputation as a "bully" in the Dodgers organization -- at least according to Justin Turner who tells TMZ Sports, "He's been great to me."

Johnson has been under fire over an ESPN report which dove into the dysfunction within the L.A. Lakers organization -- it painted Magic as a jerk who would often berate his staff.

One staffer told ESPN, "He used intimidation and bullying as a way of showing authority."

Since Magic is co-owner of the L.A. Dodgers -- we asked Turner if he's had any similar experiences with his boss.

"I love Magic," the Dodgers 3rd baseman said at Philippe's restaurant in L.A. ... "Been great to me."

Turner was doing a promotional event at Philippe's -- which is an L.A. institution because it was opened back in 1908 by Philippe Mathieu, the guy who claims he invented the French Dipped Sandwich!!!

Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias is back -- the 22-year-old is officially off administrative leave following last week's domestic violence arrest, Major League Baseball has announced.

MLB issued a statement saying, "Urías has been reinstated from Administrative Leave while the investigation into a matter governed by the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy continues."

MLB says they are still investigating the matter.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Urias -- one of the hottest young pitchers in baseball -- was arrested May 13 after he allegedly got physical with his girlfriend in the parking lot of the Beverly Center.

Officials reviewed video of the incident and determined there was enough evidence to make an arrest. He was hauled to a nearby station and spent the night behind bars.

As we previously reported, prosecutors feel the case against Urias is "weak" based on the evidence -- which doesn't appear to show Urias had an "intent to injure" when he put his hands the women.

Instead, we're told it seems like Urias was trying to prevent his GF from leaving the parking lot -- and she went to the ground as a result ... but it did not appear as though he wanted to hurt her.

MLB officials launched their own investigation but according to the L.A. Times, they weren't able to get their hands on the video.

Urias had been placed on a 7-day administrative leave by MLB -- but now that's over and Urias can return to the mound.

The criminal case against Urias is still technically active ... but we're told that should wrap up shortly.

Multiple law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... the domestic violence case against Dodgers star pitcher Julio Urias is "weak" based on the evidence.

We're told the video of the incident does show Urias making physical contact with the woman during the March 13 altercation in the Beverly Center parking lot -- but as one source puts it, "It doesn't appear there's criminal intent to injure her."

One source says it appears Urias used his hands in an attempt to stop her from leaving the area during a heated argument.

In other words, it seems as though he was trying to restrain her, not strike her ... though the woman DID go to the ground at some point during the argument.

We're not trying to minimize the seriousness of the situation -- but rather, this is what we're being told by people who are involved in the case.

We're told both parties have been very cooperative with investigators and are telling consistent stories about what happened.

Urias was arrested for misdemeanor battery and spent the night in jail. He was released Tuesday morning on $20,000 bond.

Major League Baseball has placed Urias on administrative leave while they gather evidence.

4:20 PM PT -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has addressed Urias' arrest ... saying the team will let the league's investigation "run its course" to gather more information.

2:50 PM PT -- The MLB has confirmed Urias has been placed on administrative leave while the league conducts an investigation into the matter.

An MLB rep says the administrative leave is effective today and can last up to 7 days.

Sources tell TMZ Sports the administrative leave can be extended -- potentially multiple times -- while the investigation is active.

Bottom line -- it could be a while before Urias takes the mound again.

8:55 AM PT -- The Dodgers are commenting on the Urias arrest ... telling TMZ Sports, "We learned about the alleged incident this morning and are in the process of gathering information."

"As a result, we have no comment at this time regarding the incident. However, every allegation of domestic violence must be taken seriously and addressed promptly, and we will cooperate fully with the authorities and Major League Baseball to ensure that that happens in this case."

L.A. Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias -- a rising star in the organization -- was arrested for domestic violence Monday night ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 22-year-old was arrested at 9:30 PM in Los Angeles after an incident at the Beverly Center, an upscale shopping area.

We're told a witness called cops claiming Urias was in the parking lot arguing with a female companion and shoved her to the ground.

Cops responded and spoke with the woman, who denied anything physical took place ... and insisted it was nothing more than a heated verbal argument.

However, sources connected to the situation tell us ... witnesses were adamant they saw Urias push the woman and video from the scene appeared to back up the witness accounts.

Urias was arrested and transported to a nearby station where he was booked for misdemeanor domestic battery.

He spent the night behind bars and bailed out early Tuesday morning after posting $20,000 bail.

The left-hander made his MLB debut in 2016 when he was 19 years old. He missed a lot of time over the last couple of years due to injuries but he's been on fire in 2019, winning 2 games and saving 2 games for the 1st place Dodgers so far this season.

Yasiel Puig was more than AN HOUR late to Dodger Stadium on Monday -- missing a ring presentation from his former boss -- and it's all because he was out SHOPPING!

TMZ Sports shot video of the Cincinnati Reds star lunching at Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills around noon -- and then going on a fancy shopping spree to some of the most expensive shops in L.A. ... James Perse, Saint Laurent and more.

Our photog says Puig ventured out to Rodeo Drive and shopped until at least 3 PM -- the exact time Puig was scheduled to meet with media members at Dodger Stadium.

The former Dodgers outfielder didn't get to the Stadium until 4:10 -- missing a planned media session.

Also, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and owner Mark Walter tried to meet with all of the Dodgers who were traded to the Reds this off-season to present them with their 2018 NLCS rings ... but since Puig was tardy, he missed that moment too.

Instead, Roberts and Walter met with Matt Kemp, Kyle Farmer and Alex Wood outside the Reds clubhouse ... while Puig was still M.I.A.

The good news for Puig ... when he did finally show up, he showed out -- smacking a 2-run home run off Clayton Kershaw in the 1st inning.

If you don't get a Tommy Lasorda bobblehead at a Dodgers game this season, now ya know why ...

The Los Angeles Dodgers are suing a promotions company after they claim they were stiffed out of 42,000 Lasorda bobbleheads ... this according to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

In a lawsuit filed by the team Tuesday ... L.A. says it entered into an agreement with Plan P2 Promotions to make thousands of "100% hand-painted, break-resistant poly-resin" Lasorda dolls.

The plan, it seems, was to give the 7-inch figurines away at a game later this season.

The problem?? The Dodgers claim the company never delivered the Tommy goods ... and now, the MLB organization is suing for $175,000 for breaking the terms of the contract.

The good news for L.A. fans?? The giveaways will still go on -- the Dodgers have already handed out a Walker Buehler figurine ... and have 11 more bobblehead nights planned.

Eight of those dolls are already set -- they include guys like Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen -- but the team's yet to say who will be a part of the final three bobblehead giveaways.

Does that leave the door open for another company to swoop in and save the day with the Lasorda bobbleheads???

Wanna see what it takes to fix a broken face after getting hit with a 98 mph ball???

MLB pitcher Josh Ravin took a screaming line drive to the face while playing for the Atlanta Braves' Triple-A affiliate, Gwinnett Stripers, last June. It was a scary sight ... JR dropped to the ground in pain and had to be carted off the field.

Fast-forward to today ... and Ravin is showing off all the work that had to be put into fixin' his mug after the unfortunate incident ... and it's giving off Terminator vibes!!!

"This photo is the end result.. 5 fractures, a concussion, plastic surgery, 2 plates and 11 screws later," Ravin says, showing off an x-ray of the finished product.

"Here I Am! A bionic, terminator looking human, More determined than ever!..I've always considered myself a 'savage' but I never thought it'd be possible to become an even BIGGER SAVAGE!"

Ravin -- who's a flamethrower with a 99 mph fastball -- had a stint with the L.A. Dodgers before playing with the Braves organization in 2018.

The Dodgers will pay tribute to the late Don Newcombe this season ... stitching a special No. 36 patch on their uniforms for all of 2019 -- the team announced Thursday.

The legendary pitcher -- one of the most important black athletes in MLB history -- died Tuesday at the age of 92 ... and the team says they plan to honor him on their jerseys.

Team president Stan Kasten says the patch will be on every uniform beginning on Opening Day next month ... with Newcombe becoming just the 7th Dodger player EVER to receive that honor.

Newcombe played 8 seasons for the Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers from 1949 to 1958 ... winning Rookie of the Year honors, the Cy Young AND the NL MVP during his career.

Athletes all across the globe were devastated to learn of his passing from an undisclosed illness ... and current Dodgers paid tribute to the man all over social media this week.

"I learned so much from this man," star closer Kenley Jansen said ... "Sitting together, knowing his stories, his storytelling, what he, Jackie and Roy Campanella had to go through for us to be here today."

"He taught me about the history of the game."

Flea HATES the Boston Celtics with the red, hot, fiery passion of 1,000 suns -- and when we saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers star at LAX ... HE WENT NUCLEAR on Beantown!!!

Oh, we should mention he's a die-hard Lakers fan ... if you couldn't tell by his throwback Magic Johnson shirt.

"I just think the Boston Celtics SUCK ASS," Flea proclaimed, "They're like the Satanic bottom of the basketball world! They are the shadow side."

It didn't stop there ... Flea reached way back into the rivalry to throw even more shade at the Celtics.

"Magic Johnson owned Larry Bird in college, owned him in the pros ... more championships, smoked him in college -- it's a simple fact."

We asked Flea if he'd like to see a Lakers vs. Celtics series in the NBA Finals -- and he went even HARDER!

"That would be thrilling. I'd like to see Lonzo dunk right on Jason Tatum's head!"

So, how do people in Boston feel about that? We got Mark Wahlberg out the other day, and he's already counting on the Celtics and the Boston Bruins to make it a clean 4-team championship sweep this year.