Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer was suspended for two full seasons on Friday without pay for a material violation of Major League Baseball’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy, which he denies.
Bauer’s long hiatus came after a San Diego woman who met Pitcher on social media said Bauer beat and sexually assaulted him last year. He later applied for, but was denied, a restraining order. Los Angeles prosecutors said in February that there was not enough evidence to substantiate the woman’s claims beyond a reasonable doubt.
Bauer has repeatedly said that everything that happened between the two was consensual.
“I firmly deny any violation of the League’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy,” he said in a statement on Friday. “I appeal to this action and hope it wins. “Throughout this process, my representatives and I have respected the confidentiality of the process.”
If the suspension continues, Bauer will lose about $60 million in wages.
Earlier this week, Bauer sued his defendant in federal court, a move that came less than three months after prosecutors decided not to sue the pitcher. Bauer named the woman and one of her lawyers, Niranjan Fred Tiagaraja, as defendants in the lawsuit. The Associated Press does not normally name people who say they have been sexually assaulted.
The suit alleges that “the harm done to Mr. Bauer was extreme” after the woman knocked him unconscious, repeatedly beat him and engaged in non-consensual anal sex during two sexual encounters last year.
The pitcher said the two had rough sex in the Pasadena home at his suggestion and followed the prearranged instructions. Each meeting ended with his joke and spending the night, he said.
Bauer was placed on administrative leave on July 2 of last year under a joint domestic violence and sexual assault policy by the MLB and the Players Association. The leave was repeatedly extended and Bauer continued to pay a salary of $32 million while on leave. He cut wages on Friday.
MLB issued a brief statement announcing the suspension, which did not provide details of the outcome of its investigation, adding, “Per the terms of the policy, the Office of the Commissioner will not issue further statements at this time.”
After winning his first Cy Young award with the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, Bauer agreed to a three-year contract worth $102 million to join his hometown Dodgers. He hasn’t played since June 29 and went 8-2 with a 2.59 season in 17 games. He received $28 million last year.
“The Dodgers organization takes all of these allegations very seriously and does not condone or condone any act of domestic violence or sexual assault,” the team said in a statement. “We have fully cooperated with the MLB investigation since its inception and we fully support MLB’s policy on joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse, and the Commissioner who enforces the policy. We understand that Trevor has the right to appeal the Commissioner’s decision. Therefore, we will not comment until the end of the process.”
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
