Trevor Bauer's Grievance Hearing Against MLB Will Begin May 23
Dodgers RHP Trevor Bauer's grievance hearing against MLB will begin May 23, ESPN reported Friday.
Bauer, 31, was given a 324-game suspension by MLB on April 29 for violating the league's domestic violence policy. The two-year ban is the longest suspension since the policy was implemented in 2015 and Bauer is the first player to appeal a suspension under the policy.
MLB SUSPENDS DODGERS P TREVOR BAUER FOR TWO YEARS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Bauer was accused of sexual assault by a Southern Californian woman who requested a restraining order after alleging that Bauer choked her unconscious, sodomized her and punched her repeatedly without consent during two sexual encounters last year.
Shortly after his suspension was announced, a woman from Columbus, Ohio, told The Washington Post that Bauer choked her unconscious without her consent dozens of times during a years-long relationship which began in 2013. She became the third women to make allegations against Bauer, after another Ohio woman sought a temporary restraining order against him in June 2020.
Bauer has vehemently denied the accusations and has not been charged criminally in the LA County District Attorney’s Office review of the case.
"In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league's domestic violence and sexual assault policy," Bauer wrote in a statement. "I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives and I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings."
Per ESPN, "A third-party arbitrator hired by both MLB and the MLB Players Association -- in this case, Marty Scheinman -- will review the findings and preside over a hearing that could see witnesses testify and might extend over several months."
Scheinman will have the power to determine if Bauer's suspension will be denied, upheld or reduced. There isn't a definitive timetable for how long the grievance process could take, as it could range from several weeks to even months, depending on Scheinman's availability.
Bauer last pitched in an MLB game on June 29, 2021, now in year two of a three-year, $102 million contract he signed last offseason. Bauer appeared to be headed towards an All-Star season with Los Angeles in 2021 before the suspension, going 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 107.2 innings pitched. He won the National League Cy Young Award in the COVID-19 shortened 60-game season in 2020 with the Reds.
Follow Nick Geddes on Twitter @NickGeddesNews and on Instagram @nick.geddes.