Former Major League Baseball star Trevor Bauer made his first appearance in any league since 2021 when he made his debut for the Yokohama BayStars minor league team on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers released Bauer earlier this year after he was accused of sexual assault and domestic violence. The 31-year-old has denied any wrongdoing and was ‘disappointed' with the Dodgers’ decision to release him after he was initially handed a suspension of 324 games - the longest ever in MLB history - in April 2022.
The former Cy Young winner had his ban reduced to 194 games by an independent arbitrator, which would have meant that he would have been able to suit up to play for the Dodgers at the beginning of the 2023 season. However, the team simply wished to sever all ties.
On Sunday, approximately 2,600 fans came out to Yokosuka to see the pitcher play and he allowed four hits, no runs and struck out six in four innings. The team said its live stream reached 77,000 viewers, a large increase over the 5,000 viewers who usually tune in.
“I thought the day went really well,” Bauer said. "The stuff was good, the command was good. The health was good. I feel like I’m ready to compete now, but I have to build my pitch count.”
Bauer believes he will make another minor league start before moving up to the BayStars, who compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. He added: “I’ve stayed ready. I didn’t feel like I’d been away at all. The game came to me well. It didn’t speed up on me.
“I commanded the ball. There really wasn’t any adjustment. Just competitive baseball instead of throwing to hitters in a cage.”
After he was released by the Dodgers, Bauer signed a one-year deal with the team when he was reinstated following the suspension over domestic violence and sexual assault allegations. The L.A. District Attorney's Office confirmed in February 2022 that Bauer would not face any criminal charges.
He was 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 17 starts in 2021 before he was suspended. Bauer was deleted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the third overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft.
