By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Trevor Bauer was reinstated Friday by Major League Baseball’s independent arbitrator, allowing the pitcher to resume his career at the start of the 2023 season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher was given an unprecedented two-season suspension without pay by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on April 29 for violating the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy after a San Diego woman said Bauer beat and sexually abused her last year, an accusation the pitcher denied.
The players’ association filed a grievance on Bauer’s behalf, and a three-person panel headed by independent arbitrator Martin Scheinman started hearing the case on May 23.
Major League Baseball said Scheinman upheld a 194-game suspension but reinistated Bauer immediately. As a result, Bauer will lose pay for the final 144 games of last season and for the first 50 games of next season, through May 23 if there are no postponements.
The Dodgers will have to decide whether to retain Bauer. If they cut him, they would be responsible for the remaining salary he is owed.
“While we believe a longer suspension was warranted, MLB will abide by the neutral arbitrator’s decision, which upholds baseball’s longest-ever active player suspension for sexual assault or domestic violence,” MLB said in a statement. “We understand this process was difficult for the witnesses involved and we thank them for their participation.”
The 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner’s original suspension covered 324 games without pay and if left in place would have cost him just over $60 million from a $102 million, three-year contract that began last year.
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