The administrative leave for Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer was extended a fourth time on Thursday, this time by an extra seven days through Aug. 13, according to a league official.
A civil hearing for the temporary restraining order that was obtained against Bauer will begin three days after that in L.A. Superior Court. The hearing, which was twice granted a continuance at the request of Bauer's legal team, is scheduled for Aug. 16-19. That means Bauer's leave might have to be extended at least once more, unless MLB or the City of Pasadena (California) Police Department wrap up their investigations before then.
MLB can unilaterally place a player on administrative leave for up to seven days under a joint domestic violence policy, but it must obtain consent by the MLB Players Association thereafter. Bauer hasn't been with the Dodgers since initially being placed on leave July 2.
Bauer, 30, has been accused by a woman of choking her until she lost consciousness on multiple occasions, punching her in several areas of her body and leaving her with injuries that required hospitalization over the course of two sexual encounters earlier this year, according to a domestic violence restraining order that was filed in L.A. County Superior Court on June 28, copies of which were obtained by ESPN.
The temporary restraining order was executed ex parte, which can be attained without input from the other party. Bauer's side has strongly denied the allegations of sexual assault, calling the interactions between him and the woman "wholly consensual" and saying in a prior statement that Bauer "vehemently denies her account of their two meetings."
The initial hearing to decide whether the temporary restraining order would become permanent took place July 23 and was delayed an additional six business days after Bauer's attorneys requested more time to prepare a defense against witnesses and exhibits they claimed to not have received until the night before the hearing. A continuance was obtained once again on July 29.
Bauer attended the initial hearing, as did the woman. Bauer's legal team told the judge that it has advised him not to testify, given the ongoing investigation, but the petitioner's side stated that he must nonetheless take the stand, even if he invokes his Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions. Both sides will call a total of up to 10 witnesses.
The Dodgers, who traded for Max Scherzer last week and signed Cole Hamels on Wednesday, have canceled Bauer's bobblehead night and have removed all of his merchandise from the team and online stores, saying they "did not feel it was appropriate" given the investigations.
Bauer, the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, joined the Dodgers with a record-setting three-year, $102 million contract in February that includes two opt-out clauses.