Trevor Bauer will not take the mound on Sunday as the league continues to investigate a sexual assault claim against him.
Editor's Note: This story includes graphic descriptions of sexual assault allegations.
Major League Baseball placed Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer on a seven-day administrative leave Friday following allegations that Bauer sexually assaulted and inflicted severe head trauma on a woman.
Bauer's time on administrative leave will begin immediately, according to MLB's announcement. After seven days it can be extended by MLB only with the approval of the MLB Players Association, according to the league's collective bargaining agreement. Before Bauer was placed on leave, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Bauer would make his next scheduled start, against the Nationals on Sunday. Instead, Bauer will miss that start but will continue to be paid while on leave.
A woman filed a domestic violence ex parte restraining order against Bauer on June 28, claiming Bauer committed a number of nonconsensual acts after what began as consensual sex. The woman who filed the suit said Bauer choked her unconscious and penetrated her anally without consent in April. On a separate occasion in May, the woman said Bauer choked her unconscious again. When she regained consciousness, she said Bauer was punching her in the head, and the severe trauma sent her to the emergency room.
“This was the first punch I felt but it is very possible that Trevor had already been punching and scratching the right side of my face while I was unconscious," the report read. "Trevor then punched me hard with a closed fist to the left side of my jaw, the left side of my head, and both cheekbones. I remember this vividly and it was extremely startling and painful. I was absolutely frozen and terrified. I could not speak or move."
"After punching me several times, he then flipped me back onto my stomach and began choking me with hair. I lost consciousness again.”
The Pasadena Police Department is actively pursuing the case, per The Athletic. Bauer's agent, Jon Fetterolf, released a statement on the woman's account, calling it "baseless [and] defamatory."
MLB said Friday its independent investigation is ongoing.
"While no determination in the case has been made, we have made the decision to place Mr. Bauer on seven-day administrative leave effective immediately," the league said in a press release. "MLB continues to collect information in our ongoing investigation concurrent with the Pasadena Police Department’s active criminal investigation.
"We will comment further at the appropriate time.”
Players placed on administrative leave have 24 hours to appeal the decision, though Bauer's agents Jon Fetterolf and Rachel Luba said the pitcher will not be appealing, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
Bauer is in his 10th MLB season and his first with the Dodgers after he signed a deal this winter that made him the highest paid player in 2021.