Trevor Bauer put on administrative leave

WASHINGTON -- Major League Baseball announced on Friday that Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has been placed on seven-day administrative leave while the league continues its investigation into sexual assault claims brought against Bauer earlier this week. Bauer, according to his representatives, will not appeal the decision at this time.

Bauer, who will receive pay and service time during the leave, had been scheduled to start against the Nationals on Sunday.

Under the joint domestic policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLB Players Association, the Commissioner's Office can also ask the Players Association to consent to extending the initial seven-day administrative leave period for an additional seven-day increments. Placement on administrative leave is not a pronouncement of guilt.

Bauer is under investigation following assault claims from a woman who alleges that the pitcher got physical with her during recent encounters. The Pasadena (Calif.) Police Department has opened a criminal investigation, and the alleged victim was granted a temporary ex parte restraining order.

Bauer was given a formal hearing, set for July 23. His representatives told MLB.com that they plan to refute and defend him against the allegations at the hearing.

“Her basis for filing a protection order is nonexistent, fraudulent, and deliberately omits key facts, information, and her own relevant communications,” said Bauer’s attorney, Jon Fetterolf. “Any allegations that the pair’s encounters were not 100% consensual are baseless, defamatory and will be refuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten discussed Bauer’s administrative leave with reporters on Friday afternoon.

“I think that the procedures that are in place, which have been agreed upon with the union, are the correct, the proper, the best way to get all the facts, and to get the right outcome,” said Kasten. “All of us have personal opinions and views, all of us with the team, all of us on our staff, all of our fans, all of our families, we all have personal views. But for now, I think it is best the way it is being handled -- professionally by the Commissioner’s Office. … I trust that process to get us where it needs to go.”

The alleged victim’s attorney, Marc Garelick, told TMZ that his client “sought and obtained an order for protection from the court against Mr. Trevor Bauer under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act.”

“Our goal is to keep Mr. Bauer from contacting our client in any way possible,” Garelick told TMZ. “We anticipate there will be criminal action against Mr. Bauer, and it is our hope law enforcement will take our client’s allegations and case seriously.”