LOS ANGELES — On the day after a San Diego woman provided a court with medical records to support her allegation that Trevor Bauer had injured her during a sexual encounter, the Athletic reported the woman had shown "signs of a … skull fracture," citing the concern a doctor had expressed in those records. In March, Bauer sued the Athletic for defamation, alleging the media outlet maliciously left out the information that tests had ruled out a skull fracture.
It is "preposterous" for Bauer to suggest that readers would have thought much differently of him even if the Athletic had omitted references to the alleged skull injury, attorneys for the Athletic and one of its former writers argued in a court filing Tuesday while asking a United States district court judge to throw out the lawsuit.
The attorneys also filed a separate motion that, if successful, could force Bauer to pay the legal fees the Athletic incurs to defend itself.
