For as much as the Dodgers will hope to distance themselves from Trevor Bauer, opting on Friday to designate the right-hander for assignment rather than reinstate him from suspension, in many ways the damage has already been done.
Bauer has completed a 194-game suspension, the longest baseball has ever handed out under its joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, after a San Diego woman accused Bauer of sexual assault. The allegations stemmed from a pair of encounters that began as consensual and, the woman said, turned violent. Over the summer, two other women alleged similar interactions with Bauer in the past, as first reported by the Washington Post. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office declined to bring charges against Bauer in February. Bauer has denied any wrongdoing.
The Dodgers, in finalizing their decision, met with Bauer on Thursday for the first time since he was placed on paid administrative leave in July 2021. Bauer alleged in a statement that in meeting with Dodgers officials they “told me that they wanted me to return and pitch for the team this year.” A Dodgers official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said that claim is inaccurate and no such desire was expressed. No Dodgers officials were made available…
