Trevor Bauer was back on the mound pitching against an MLB team, and he’s still yet to allow one run.
Pitching for Diablos Rojos del Mexico, Bauer faced a New York Yankees team that featured multiple every-day major leaguers, unlike the minor league group he previously played against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bauer went against Yankees like Anthony Volpe, Giancarlo Stanton, Oswaldo Cabrera and Jose Trevino during his start for Diablos Rojos, aiming to make a major league roster this season.
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Bauer lasted three innings, giving up four hits and two walks, while striking out three batters. The main thing, though, is the zero runs allowed before his afternoon was finished in Mexico City.
He was able to set down the Yankees in the first frame of this exhibition game before Opening Day later this week, but he found himself in some trouble in the top of the second inning. Bauer had the bases loaded after walking the ninth hitter, Greg Allen, and Volpe came up to the plate with a 0-0 scoreboard.
But after a short mound visit to make sure Bauer was all set to leave the bases-loaded jam with two outs, he struck out Volpe in four pitches, keeping his scoreless streak alive. He was fired up after the swing-and-miss by Volpe on a breaking ball, hitting himself in the chest with satisfaction as the Diablos Rojos faithful cheered him on.
In the third inning, Bauer struck out Stanton before letting up back-to-back singles to Cabrera and Oscar Gonzalez. But he settled down again, striking out Jose Rojas and getting Trevino to ground out to end the inning.
Bauer said earlier last week that he will play between April 11 and May 8 with the Diablos to serve as his “traditional spring training period” in hopes that an MLB team will sign him to join their rotation.
Bauer, 33, has been trying to get back into MLB since serving his 194-day suspension that was originally a record-324 games after a woman accused him of sexual assault. It was settled last fall after a decision by prosecutors not to file charges in February 2022.
Bauer has vehemently denied all allegations against him, saying encounters with the female were consensual. The woman eventually sued him after prosecutors didn’t file charges, and Bauer filed a countersuit.
He has noted wanting to play on the league minimum for any team that wishes to use his pitching talents in 2024.
During his outing against the Dodgers with the Asian Breeze, an independent team based in Japan, Bauer was topping out his fastball at 99 mph, while his secondary pitches looked sharp as well. The same can be said for his outing against the Yankees, where his fastball stayed in the high-90s.
“It’s not a money thing,” he told reporters after his outing with the Asian Breeze. “I’ve served my suspension twice over. I’ve been cleared of everything in the legal system. If you think about it logically, there’s really no reason I shouldn’t have a job.
“But I don’t. So, it is what it is. We’ll see how it plays out. I don’t want to predict the future. We’ll see.”
MLB’s Opening Day is March 28.