Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will not have to face justice anymore, but that doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing he will pitch in MLB this season.
The pitcher, who missed most of the 2021 campaign after being placed in administrative leave as he was under investigation for alleged sexual assault, said he wants to pitch in 2022 after the Los Angeles County District Attorney announced they would not be filing any criminal charges against him related to the incidents because of a lack of evidence.
However, the situation is not as easy as it sounds.
Bauer has been placed on administrative leave, again, for seven days while the league investigates a possible suspension.
As a result, Bauer won’t report to spring training while under administrative leave.
A PR Nightmare For The Dodgers
First, it would be a PR nightmare for the Dodgers to bring him back after what he (allegedly) did; and second, the league’s investigation is not done, and they can still suspend a player without a conviction.
On the field, the Dodgers need him badly, even after re-signing Clayton Kershaw.
They lost Max Scherzer to the New York Mets and have several injury-prone hurlers.
Bauer, for his part, threw 107.2 innings in 2021 with Los Angeles before the legal situation.
He went 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA,137 strikeouts and a 1.00 WHIP.
His manager on the Dodgers, Dave Roberts, spoke in camp on Monday.
“The guys that are in camp, that’s who all of our focus has to be on,” Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic tweeted.
Dave Roberts on Trevor Bauer: “The guys that are in camp, that's who all of our focus has to be on.”
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 14, 2022
Roberts recently said he didn’t completely shut the door on bringing back Bauer, but it’s hard to say much more at this point without knowing if the league will suspend him and for how long.
NEXT: Clayton Kershaw Shares Video Announcing His Return
