LOS ANGELES — Trevor Bauer's two-year suspension from Major League Baseball was reduced from 324 games to 194 games Thursday, meaning the Dodgers will have to decide whether to pay him or release him.
The original suspension, the longest ever issued for violation of baseball's policy on sexual assault and domestic violence, was shortened by an arbitration panel that had considered Bauer's appeal since May.
"After an exhaustive review of the available evidence the neutral arbitrator upheld an unpaid suspension of 194 games, Major League Baseball said in a statement. "As part of the decision, the arbitrator reinstated Mr. Bauer effectively immediately, with a loss of pay covering the 144 games he was suspended during the 2022 season. In addition, the arbitrator docked Bauer's salary for the first 50 games of the 2023 season (the period covering March 30, 2023 to May 23, 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.
