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At this point, Trevor Bauer’s return to Major League Baseball appears to be a long shot.
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 is “washed up” on social media, saying that both his velocity and induced vertical break (“ride”) are higher now on fastballs than they were in 2020, when he won the Cy Young Award.
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Trevor Bauer smiles after pitching a no-hitter for the Long Island Ducks on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (Jordan McGregor)
But what has become clear keeping him out are past sexual assault allegations that initially saw him suspended for two full seasons before it was reduced to 194 games.
Bauer has continued to maintain his innocence, saying he has told teams he would play “for free.” On the other hand, Bauer once said in 2024 that he “may have no choice” but to sue the league. He also most recently called MLB after Pete Rose and other deceased former ballplayers were removed from the league’s permanently ineligible list.
“I think he needs to sort out the issues with MLB first before he gets to this level. I think one thing with Trevor Bauer was that he went against MLB, and you can’t go against the hands that really feed you,” Pujols recently told Pakinomist Digital.
If he could do it, though, teams should jump at the opportunity, Pujols said.
“I had an opportunity to play with him with the (Los Angeles) Dodgers. Who doesn’t want Trevor Bauer on their team? Sure,” Pujols said.
“But I think at the end of the day, he’s still trying, but he’s got 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)
June marks five years since Bauer, as the reigning Cy Young Award winner, last appeared in an MLB game. On June 28 of that year, he threw six innings of two-run ball while striking out eight batters to record the win. Two days later, he was hit with sexual assault allegations that eventually led to the suspension for violating the league’s joint policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
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Bauer struck 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. Last year in Japan, however, his ERA shot up to 4.41 and he struck out just 8.2 batters per inning. nine innings.
“Anyone who’s willing to sit down with me and listen: I want to play the second half of my career better than I played the first half,” Bauer told Pakinomist Digital in January 2024. “I want to be an example that you can make mistakes, recognize them, adjust and then be better in the future. I think that’s something we as humans have to do and should do constantly.”
Bauer has maintained her innocence and is settling with one accuser, while another faces 16 years in prison after being charged with fraud after faking a pregnancy and asking Bauer for money for an abortion.
Bauer and Lindsey Hill, who accused the pitcher of beating and sexually assaulting her in 2021, settled their case in late 2023. Bauer revealed texts from Hill, who said Bauer would be her “next victim.” among other condemning messages. Hill has since said MLB has more evidence of Bauer’s alleged wrongdoing.
Trevor Bauer hasn’t played in the big 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 settlement. Hill broke their settlement agreement with each other 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 Dodgers.
