Trevor Bauer makes first pitching appearance in Japan after MLB suspension

Trevor Bauer made his debut for the Yokohama BayStars minor league team on Sunday in his first appearance on the mound in any league since 2021.

Bauer allowed four hits, no runs and struck out six in four innings. About 2,600 fans came out to Yokosuka, Japan, to see the 2020 Cy Young Award winner pitch. The team said its livestream reached 77,000 viewers – 15 times the usual 5,000 viewers who tune in.

“I thought the day went really well,” Bauer said. “The stuff was good, the command was good. The health was good. I feel like I’m ready to compete now, but I have to build my pitch count.”

He added he would likely get another minor league start before moving up to the BayStars, who play in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball.

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“I’ve stayed ready,” Bauer said. “I didn’t feel like I’d been away at all. The game came to me well. It didn’t speed up on me. I commanded the ball. There really wasn’t any adjustment. Just competitive baseball instead of throwing to hitters in a cage.”

Bauer signed a one-year deal after he was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers when he was reinstated following a suspension over domestic violence and sexual assault allegations. He was suspended 324 games over the allegations, but an arbitrator reduced the suspension.

Bauer has maintained he did nothing wrong and that everything he and a San Diego woman did was consensual. He was never charged with a crime.

He was 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 17 starts in 2021 before he was suspended.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.