Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer is currently under investigation by both Major League Baseball and the police in Pasadena, Calif. pursuant to allegations of sexual assault, and he's been on administrative leave while those investigations are carried out. MLB and the Players Association are expected to extend Bauer's administrative on Friday leave for another week, through Sept. 10, according to Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic.
In August, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge denied a request to extend a temporary restraining order against Bauer. However, Bauer remains under investigation by the Pasadena, Calif. Police Department for possible criminal charges, and he remains subject to a probe by MLB that could lead to his being disciplined by the league. Per the relevant joint agreement, MLB can discipline Bauer regardless of legal system outcomes.
There was also a recent report that a different woman filed a protection order against Bauer in Ohio last year. Bauer responded by saying the woman was trying to extort money from him and accused the Washington Post of taking part in a "false narrative."
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 reported that 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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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.
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 initially being placed on administrative leave on July 2.
