Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer and his sexual assault accuser, Lindsay Hill, have reached a settlement in their civil lawsuits, effectively bringing an end to the legal battle outside of the courtroom.
This comes after months of intense scrutiny and legal proceedings surrounding the allegations against Bauer.
The saga began on June 30, 2021, when the Pasadena Police Department confirmed that Bauer was under investigation for the alleged assault of a San Diego woman in May of that year. Lindsay Hill, the accuser, claimed that she had encountered Bauer on April 21 and subsequently experienced physical and sexual assaults on two separate occasions. Her allegations included disturbing details of non-consensual acts, physical violence, and loss of consciousness due to choking.
Following these accusations, Major League Baseball (MLB) took swift action by placing Bauer on administrative leave on July 2, 2021. Throughout the investigation and legal proceedings that followed, Bauer maintained that the encounters were “wholly consensual.”
The situation escalated further on September 10, 2021, when MLB and the players’ union extended Bauer’s administrative leave through the remainder of the 2021 season.
On April 29, 2022, Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred dropped the hammer, announcing that Trevor Bauer would face a suspension of 324 games, without pay.
This suspension was based on a violation of MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy, making it the longest non-lifetime suspension ever issued in MLB history.
The Dodgers also took action, designating Bauer for assignment on January 6, 2023, and officially releasing him on January 12, 2023.
With Bauer’s recent settlement in the Pasadena case, MLB fans are rallying behind him, urging him to pursue legal action against those they believe have wronged him.
Here’s how fans responded:
“Now you need to sue the MLB and the Dodgers.”
“Congrats Trevor. MLB should be ashamed of themselves. Rarely do they handle any issues like this properly.”
“U should sue the Dodgers and the MLB for kicking you out of the league.”
“The judicial system is fu**ed. Guilty until proven innocent if you’re a man.. sorry brother.”
“I believe millions of people owe you a fucking apology….. I was a detective and saw how often shit like this would happen, imagine to a famous athlete. Never jump to conclusions until after trial especially if you have absolutely nothing to do with the case.”
“Now go sue the Dodgers.”
“MLB needs to wake up.”
“She should be prosecuted for this!! Hope you sue the MLB!”
“Yes…absolutely sue Dodgers and MLB for everything.”
“Sue the Dodgers and MLB.”
In a collective chorus of support, fans urged Bauer to take legal action against MLB and the Dodgers.
As of March 13, 2023, Trevor Bauer has embarked on a new chapter in his baseball career, signing an incentive-laden one-year, $4 million contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, a Central League team in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Notably, the Dodgers will continue to pay the remainder of his $22.5 million salary for the year 2023.
In an Instagram video, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer addressed the challenges he has faced in the past two years and expressed his desire to move forward and focus on his career.
“Over the last two years, I’ve been forced to defend my integrity and my reputation in a very public setting, but hopefully this is the last time I have to do so, as I’d prefer to just remain focused on doing my job, winning baseball games, and entertaining fans around the world,” Bauer said in his video statement. “So today, I’m happy to be moving on with my life.”
Bauer’s remarks come as he seeks to distance himself from ongoing legal matters that have cast a shadow over his career.
