Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer is currently under investigation by both MLB and the Pasadena, California Police Department pursuant to allegations of sexual assault, and he's been on administrative leave while those investigations are carried out. On Tuesday, MLB and the Players Association agreed to extend Bauer's administrative leave through Aug. 6.
Some additional context on the decision to once again extend his leave:
As such, it's unclear when Bauer will be able to return to baseball -- a suspension under MLB's domestic violence policy looms in addition to potential criminal charges -- but, when he is, he may not be welcome in his own clubhouse. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times says many Dodgers players do not want Bauer back. From DiGiovanna:
Bauer's career is in jeopardy, and his stay with the Dodgers could be over, the sexual-assault allegations having turned a pitcher in his prime into a pariah in his own clubhouse, where no teammate has spoken publicly about him or come to his defense. Two people with knowledge of Dodgers clubhouse dynamics, who are unauthorized to speak publicly about the situation, said that a majority of players do not want Bauer back under any circumstances.
The Dodgers signed Bauer to a three-year, $102 million contract with multiple opt-outs this past offseason. Under the domestic violence policy, the Dodgers can not release Bauer until the investigation is complete and he serves any discipline. If the team does release him at some point, they would still own him the balance of his contract.
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Last week, Bauer appeared in court to fight an extension of the protective order sought by the woman who alleges he assaulted her. Attorneys for both sides intend to call witnesses and the hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 2, reports the Associated Press. The judge ruled Bauer must take the stand at that time, which is standard in such civil proceedings.
The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang reported details of the woman's encounters with him, which she says were initially consensual. "I agreed to have consensual sex; however, I did not agree or consent to what he did next. I did not agree to be sexually assaulted," the woman said.
The Athletic's report, which includes graphic details from the restraining order, including allegations that Bauer strangled and punched the woman, can be found here.
One of Bauer's agents, Jon Fetterolf, issued a statement to ESPN's Jeff Passan, in which he asserted that the relationship between Bauer and the accuser was "wholly consensual" and that "any allegations that the pair's encounters were not 100% consensual are baseless, defamatory, and will be refuted to the fullest extent of the law."
MLB's domestic violence policy was implemented in 2016 and 13 players have since been disciplined, with suspensions ranging from 14 games to 162 games.
Bauer, 30, went 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 17 starts prior to being placed on administrative leave.
