Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have agreed to extend the administrative leave of Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer through the end of the World Series, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan (Twitter thread). MLB Network’s Jon Heyman suggested earlier this morning that Bauer’s leave was likely to be extended through season’s end.
The agreement between the league and the players’ union does not come in the wake of new information and is largely a procedural move. Bauer hasn’t pitched in a game since late June and would’ve been unlikely to have sufficient time to ramp up again even if a resolution in his case appeared near. There’s no indication, however, that a resolution is on the horizon.
A Los Angeles judge recently denied a permanent restraining order to the woman who has accused Bauer of sexually assaulting her, although that was a civic hearing that is separate from the still-ongoing criminal investigation. The judge ruled that Bauer did not pose a future threat to the alleged victim, but that ruling was not a determination of criminal culpability (or lack thereof).
Criminal charges have not yet been filed against Bauer, nor has he been declared guilty or not guilty. The Pasadena Police recently turned over its findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney, whose office is still reviewing all of the evidence. Notably, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets that the DA’s office has not yet determined whether criminal charges will formally be filed.
Major League Baseball is in the midst of its own investigation into these allegations as well as a separate set of accusations from an Ohio woman, stemming from an alleged incident last summer. Commissioner Rob Manfred has the ability to suspend Bauer even if criminal charges are not brought forth. Presumably, the league is waiting on the criminal investigation into Bauer to play out before announcing its own decision.
Bauer was originally placed on paid administrative leave back on July 2. It’s not a punitive measure but is instead implemented to allow Major League Baseball to look into incidents that fall under the purview of the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLBPA. Administrative leave is typically only extended in seven-day increments and must be jointly agreed upon by the league and the union. The two parties have agreed to extend Bauer’s leave each Friday since his original leave was announced, but given the proximity to the end of the regular season and the ongoing nature of investigations, an agreement has now been reached to formally close the book on his 2021 season.
