Dodgers notes: Another Trevor Bauer accuser, what’s next, and payroll considerations

On the day Major League Baseball suspended Trevor Bauer for two years under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, a third accuser came forward against the Dodgers pitcher.

A Columbus, Ohio woman described a relationship with Bauer dating back to 2013 when he as a minor leaguer with Cleveland. From Gus Garcia-Roberts at the Washington Post:

As their years-long sexual relationship continued, the woman said, they agreed he would stop choking her before she passed out. But he frequently ignored her warnings, she said. He also slapped her without her consent and anally penetrated her while she was unconscious, she said.

Bauer’s representatives in an email to True Blue LA, saying, “Mr. Bauer unequivocally denies the false and defamatory allegations made in The Washington Post.”

The Columbus woman cooperated with MLB investigators, she told The Post, as did another Ohio woman who sought a restraining order against Bauer in 2020.

Bauer’s 324-game suspension, which he is appealing, is the longest suspension by MLB under the policy, which was enacted in 2015.

Both Major League Baseball and the Dodgers declined comment beyond statements released on Friday, citing confidentiality of the process and with Bauer appealing.

Manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday he had no plans to separately address the team regarding Bauer, per SportsNet LA.

“Until everything is finalized, right now I just don’t want to comment. I don’t think it’s smart for me to make any comments,” Roberts said. “All I know is our guys have done a great job at focusing at the job at hand and the guys in the room.”

Links & notes

• Bill Shaikin at the Los Angeles Times laid out a summary of the Bauer situation, in which he noted, “Bauer hopes to pursue an expedited appeal that could be heard next month.”
• The arbitration process under MLB’s collective bargaining agreement features a three-person panel, to which the league has to prove it had just cause in suspending Bauer. One arbiter is appointed by MLB, one by the players union, and one is independent. That independent arbiter is Martin Scheinman, per David Brandt of the Associated Press.
• With Bauer’s salary at $32 million for 2022, the Dodgers have already paid him just over $3.5 million for this season. Should the suspension hold through at least this season, that lowers the club’s payroll for competitive balance tax purposes to roughly $269.5 million.
• Jack Harris of the LA Times talked to Clayton Kershaw and Daron Sutton as Kershaw closes in on passing Daron’s father, Don Sutton, as the franchise all-time strikeout leader.
• Darien Núñez, who had Tommy John surgery Tuesday and was claimed off waivers by the Giants on Wednesday, was released by San Francisco on Friday.