Many have wondered whether Trevor Bauer, who is being investigated by Pasdena Police for allegedly assaulting a woman he met on Instagram months earlier (though Bauer’s lawyer insists any injuries sustained were the result of consensual “rough” sex), will be subject to suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy. The answer? Not yet. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Bauer will make his next start as scheduled Sunday against the Nationals.
“I’m in the position of following the lead of Major League Baseball,” expressed Roberts, who said he has spoken privately with Bauer. “Their recommendation was for us—he was our scheduled Sunday starter—to move forward and have him start that game on Sunday. So for me to try to read into it anymore outside of just following what they had advised me and us to do, I just choose to kind of follow their lead.”
The allegations against Bauer, as outlined in horrifying detail by The Athletic, are disturbing to say the least including accusations of punching (resulting in two black eyes and a swollen lip), choking his victim to the point of unconsciousness and anal penetration without consent. According to Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, the commissioner can choose to place Bauer on administrative leave for up to seven days while the league conducts its investigation, though obviously Rob Manfred has yet to take that step.
When approached Thursday at Nationals Park, Bauer left the field without speaking to reporters. Winner of last year’s NL Cy Young Award, Bauer joined his hometown Dodgers as a free agent this offseason, becoming one of the league’s highest-paid pitchers by agreeing to a three-year, $102-million contract. The outspoken right-hander has long been a controversial figure in MLB, ruffling feathers with his defiant social-media presence including an instance in 2019 when a woman accused Bauer of harassing her on Twitter. Even in the absence of arrest or criminal proceedings, players can still be suspended under the league’s domestic violence policy, which has been in place since 2015.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram