Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, who has been accused of sexual assault in a restraining order petition filed earlier this week, is still expected to make his next scheduled start on Sunday, manager Dave Roberts said.
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"As of now, we're kind of in the middle of letting the commissioner's office, Major League Baseball, handle this," Roberts told reporters on Thursday, adding that Bauer was with the team and was getting ready to play catch at Nationals Park. "It's in their hands. Right now, our direction was to just move forward and not do anything as far as the player and Trevor, so our plan is he is gonna start on Sunday."
Bauer is set to start against the Nationals in Washington, D.C., on July Fourth, unless something changes over the next three days.
After Roberts' remarks, some fans and commentators took to social media to express their reactions.
Restraining order petition against Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer includes graphic, disturbing details
Woman obtains restraining order against Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer
"Respectfully to Dave Roberts, this is (bull---)," sports writer and radio host Andy Kamenetzky tweeted. "If he and the Dodgers *really* didn't want to start Bauer given the ugliness of this situation, they could just make that call and dare the league to wade into a PR nightmare by disciplining them. It's in their hands."
Twitter user @HeyImDion wrote: "i really wish people would understand how policy works instead of just blaming Dave Roberts and the Dodgers."
In a restraining order petition filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, a woman accused Bauer of choking her until she lost consciousness, 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. A copy of the document was obtained by ABC7.
Family Justice Center in OC police department provides safe space for domestic violence survivors
Family Justice Center in OC police department provides safe space for domestic violence survivors
Roberts said he has spoken to Bauer since details of the alleged sexual assault became public -- first reported by The Athletic -- but did not divulge details about their conversation. Asked if it bothered him that he would start on Sunday given what has transpired, Roberts repeated that it's "out of our hands. Regardless of what direction the organization wanted to do, it's something that this is what has to happen, and so it's out of everyone's hands."
While asking the court to issue a no-contact order that would prevent Bauer from coming within 100 yards of her, the 27-year-old woman, a resident of the San Diego area, provided graphic details of sexual encounters with Bauer and photographs that show two black eyes, scratches on her face and bruised and cut lips. The alleged incidents took place at Bauer's home in Pasadena on April 21 and May 16 and are being investigated by the Pasadena Police Department.
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Bauer's side plans to deny the allegations during a hearing scheduled for July 23, according to his representatives. On Tuesday, those representatives issued a statement denying that Bauer had assaulted the woman, describing the encounters "wholly consensual." The following day, they provided a series of text messages that show the woman inviting rough sex and talking about how she wants him to "gimme all the pain" and "choke me out."
The Dodgers are scheduled to begin a four-game series with the Nationals on Thursday night, and the team is expected to visit the White House ahead of their game Friday night in celebration of their World Series victory last year.
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"I'm in the position of following the lead of Major League Baseball," Roberts said during a virtual press conference. "Their recommendation was for us to use our scheduled Sunday starter and to move forward and have him start that game on Sunday. For me to try to read into it any more outside of just following what they had advised me and us to do -- I just choose to follow kind of their lead."
If you are the victim of domestic abuse, or you know someone who is, there is help available 24/7. You can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (800) 656-4673.
ESPN contributed to this report.