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At this point, it seems like a long shot for Trevor Bauer to return to Major League Baseball.
But the possibility is certainly alive after he recently threw a no-hitter for the Long Island Ducks of the Independent League.
Bauer recently shut down claims that he’s “washed out” on social media, saying both his velocity and induced vertical break (“ride”) are higher now with fastballs than they were in 2020, when he won the Cy Young Award.
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Trevor Bauer smiles after throwing a no-hitter for the Long Island Ducks on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (Jordan McGregor)
But what has become apparent that is keeping him out are previous sexual assault allegations, which initially saw him suspended for two full seasons before it was reduced to 194 games.
Bauer continued to maintain his innocence and said he had told teams he would play “for free.” However, on the other hand, Bauer once said in 2024 that he “may have no choice” but to sue the league. He also recently criticized the MLB after Pete Rose and other deceased former players were removed from the league’s permanently ineligible list.
“I think he first needs to clear up the issues with the MLB before he gets to this level. I think one thing with Trevor Bauer was that he went against the MLB, and you can’t go against the hands that really feed you,” Pujols recently told Pak Gazette Digital.
However, if he could do that, teams should take advantage of the opportunity, Pujols said.
“I had the opportunity to play with him with the (Los Angeles) Dodgers. Who doesn’t want to have Trevor Bauer on their team? Absolutely,” Pujols said.
“But I think at the end of the day, he’s still trying, but he needs to clarify what his problem is with MLB.”
Trevor Bauer pitches for the Long Island Ducks during the no-hitter on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (Jordan McGregor)
This June will mark five years since Bauer, as the reigning Cy Young Award winner, last appeared in an MLB game. On June 28 of that year, he pitched six innings of two runs while striking out eight batters, earning the victory. Two days later, he was charged with sexual assault, which ultimately led to suspension for violating the league’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.
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Bauer launched in japan in both 2023 and 2025, while a stint in Mexico came in 2024. He pitched to a 2.59 ERA and 9.2 K/9 in Japan in 2023, and in Mexico, those numbers improved to 2.48 and 13.0. However, last year in Japan, his ERA skyrocketed to 4.41 and he struck out just 8.2 batters per nine innings.
“Anyone who is willing to sit with me and listen to me: I would like to play the second half of my career better than the first,” Bauer told Pak Gazette Digital in January 2024. “I would like to be an example that you can make mistakes, recognize them, adapt and then be better in the future. I think that’s something that we, as human beings, have to do and should do constantly.”
Bauer has maintained his innocence, reaching a deal with one accuser, while another faces 16 years in prison after being accused of fraud after faking a pregnancy and asking Bauer for money for an abortion.
Bauer and Lindsey Hill, who accused the pitcher of hitting and sexually abusing her in 2021, settled their case in late 2023. Bauer revealed text messages from Hill, who said Bauer would be her “next victim.” among other damning messages. Hill has since said MLB has more evidence of Bauer’s alleged misconduct.
Trevor Bauer has not pitched in the Major Leagues since the 2021 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
Last June, Hill was ordered to pay Bauer more than $300,000 for violating the terms of the agreement. Hill violated his settlement agreement by discussing Bauer on podcasts and in public appearances. Los Angeles Times reported.
At the time of the allegations, Bauer was pitching to a 2.59 ERA with the dodgers.
