For a long time, Trevor Bauer made big headlines because of his great level as one of the greatest pitchers in MLB. However, it's been a long time since that happened, as the reason why he's been on the news for the last few months had nothing to do with baseball.
MLB put the Los Angeles Dodgers star on administrative leave on July 2, 2021 after a woman who accused him of physically and sexually assaulting her twice requested to file a restraining order against him. The woman in question claimed he choked her until leaving her unconscious, punched her multiple times and had sex with her without her consent. The restraining order request was denied, though, while Bauer and his camp denied all the allegations. On February 8, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office stated Bauer would not face criminal charges.
But even with his legal matters cleared, the league could still hand him a suspension, which is what eventually happened. On Friday, the MLB has announced that Trevor Bauer would face one of the longest suspensions of all time.
For how long did MLB suspend Trevor Bauer?
Trevor Bauer has received a 324-game suspension - the equivalent of two regular seasons - without pay from MLB for violating its joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy after carrying out an investigation of their own into the sexual assault allegations.
Bauer's two-year suspension is the longest a baseball player has ever received in the seven-year history of the policy. The Dodgers star, who is under contract for $32m in 2022 and 2023, will be the first one to appeal the punishment.
"In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy. I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives and I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings," Bauer tweeted.
On Monday, Bauer filed suit against his accuser for defamation. The Dodgers pitcher was linked to another scandal last year when a Washington Post report claimed that a woman in Ohio wanted a temporary order of protection against Bauer in June 2020. Bauer denied those allegations as well, claiming she assaulted him instead.
Even though he has not faced criminal charges for the sexual assault accusations, they have certainly harmed his reputation, which is why he will continue to battle against them until he clears his name.
