Editor’s note: This story contains graphic accounts of domestic violence and sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault or domestic violence, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will not face criminal charges, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office announced Tuesday.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has investigated the case since August. Bauer last pitched on June 28 and was placed on administrative leave in July. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred can still hand down a punishment and suspend Bauer if he’s not charged with a crime under the league's joint domestic violence policy, which can be read here.
“MLB’s investigation is ongoing and we will comment further at the appropriate time,” the MLB said in a statement given to The Athletic.
Bauer was being investigated by Los Angeles authorities after violent encounters with a woman who said she met Bauer on two different occasions for what began as consensual sex. She then left the encounters with various injuries.
The woman said that Bauer choked her unconscious during their first meeting, adding that he was penetrating her anally when she regained consciousness. She also said that during their second encounter, Bauer punched her in the face without her consent as she regained consciousness. Bauer denied the allegations, saying she had asked for rough sex.
In a statement Tuesday, Bauer said:
I had consensual sex with this woman on two occasions at my residence in Pasadena, during which we engaged in rough sex. This is something that she brought up, we discussed together, and both agreed to engage in. We established rules and boundaries and I followed them. On both occasions, she consented beforehand when we established those boundaries. She also repeatedly consented during sex, when I asked her multiple times if she was enjoying herself and if she wanted to continue. In fact, she continued to direct me as to what she wanted in no uncertain terms.
The woman sought a five-year restraining order against Bauer, the maximum under California law. A judge dissolved a temporary order and denied the five-year order, stating that he is not a future threat to the woman in California.
