Woman says Trevor Bauer punched and strangled her to unconsciousness

A woman accused Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer of assaulting her during two separate encounters that shifted from consensual to non-consensual, according to a restraining order request filed Monday in Los Angeles County.

The woman said Bauer punched her in the face, buttocks and vagina; strangled her until she reached unconsciousness; and had sex with her while she was unconscious. She said the encounters happened at Bauer’s Pasadena home early in the mornings of April 22 and May 16. The restraining order request includes her account of the two nights she states she spent with Bauer, text messages and pictures of bruises on her body.

Bauer, through his agent, denies he assaulted the woman and says the sexual relationship was consensual. The agent said Bauer is cooperating with the investigation and shared text messages with media outlets supporting Bauer’s description of his encounters with the woman.

The request for a domestic violence restraining order was temporarily granted, with a hearing to review the request scheduled for July 23.

Lt. Bill Grisafe of the Pasadena Police Department said Tuesday that officials opened an investigation into the allegation a few weeks ago. Lt. Carolyn Gordon, who is overseeing the investigation, on Tuesday said police have not yet presented a case to the district attorney’s office.

Major League Baseball was made aware of a woman’s assault allegations on Tuesday night. Whether MLB will discipline Bauer depends on what happens next.

MLB can place Bauer on paid administrative leave for up to seven days without an agreement with the players’ association, but that would require more than an allegation, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly. The league would need evidence or corroboration.

Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías was placed on administrative leave in May 2019, the day after he was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery. The arrest was considered evidence. Urías was reinstated seven days later; extending the leave would have required an agreement with the union. In June 2019, Los Angeles city prosecutors said they wouldn’t file misdemeanor charges against him. Urías was suspended for 20 games under MLB’s domestic violence policy in August after the league conducted its investigation.

Bauer is scheduled to next pitch Sunday against the Washington Nationals.