Trevor Bauer will be eligible to return to the mound in 2023 but it looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers won’t be bringing him back.
Multiple women have accused the 31-year-old of sexual assault.
This includes a San Diego-based woman who got a temporary restraining order against Bauer in June 2021 and another that accused him of choking and striking her against her will.
But the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has determined that Bauer will not face criminal charges for the allegations.
And while Bauer and his legal team have also denied the claims, the MLB decided to put him on administrative leave and suspended him for 324 games.
The suspension would have forced him to miss two full seasons – but an arbitrator Thursday cut it down to 194 games.
That means he will be without pay for 50 games in 2023.
“While we believe a longer suspension was warranted, MLB will abide by the neutral arbitrator’s decision, which upholds baseball’s longest-ever active player suspension for sexual assault or domestic violence,” the league said in a statement.
But now the Dodgers, who have one year left committed to Bauer, have the decision to make and it will need to be made soon.
Should the team release the right-hander, it would owe still owe $23 million in 2023.
USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale reports that the Dodgers plan to go in this direction, with the decision needing to be made by no later than January 6.
In February 2021, Bauer and the Dodgers agreed to a three-year $102 million contract.
With the Dodgers, he has only appeared in 17 games.
Bauer has not pitched since June 28, 2021.
