After two years, Trevor Bauer, a recipient of the Cy Young Award, wore the Yokohama DeNA BASS uniform again but was excluded from the 1st team roster due to conditioning issues.

The Japanese sports media "Sports Hochi" reported on the 1st that Bauer's exclusion from the 1st team roster was noted, stating that "the condition is not serious."

Bauer made his start against the Chunichi Dragons on the 29th of last month. This was his return to the Japanese stage after 577 days since the game against the Hanshin Tigers on Aug. 30, 2023.

Despite adverse conditions including a somewhat chilly temperature of 6 degrees Celsius and rain causing a delay in the start time, he pitched well with 6 innings, 6 hits allowed, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, and 1 run. However, the team's lineup struggled with only 2 hits, leading to a loss.

He expressed his thoughts about pitching again in front of the Yokohama fans, saying, "I was happy to pitch again in front of the fans." Bauer is expected to pitch on the 5th or 6th against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, according to this media.

Meanwhile, Bauer won the National League Cy Young Award in 2020 while playing for the Cincinnati Reds during a shortened season due to COVID-19, recording 11 games (73 innings) with 5 wins, 4 losses, and an earned run average of 1.73.

After the 2020 season, Bauer signed a 3-year, $102 million free agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2021, he played 17 games (107⅔ innings) for the Dodgers, achieving 8 wins and 5 losses with an earned run average of 2.59, but he became embroiled in a sexual assault controversy in June of that year.

The Major League Baseball office imposed an administrative leave on him, and subsequently, a suspension of 324 games followed under its domestic violence and sexual assault policy. The police investigation lasted a long time, but the sexual assault charges were not prosecuted due to a lack of evidence. Major League Baseball reduced the suspension to 194 games, and the Dodgers released Bauer in December 2022.

As all 30 Major League Baseball teams turned their backs on Bauer, he signed with Yokohama in the Nippon Professional Baseball league in 2023. He successfully made a comeback in Yokohama, achieving 10 wins, 4 losses, and an earned run average of 2.76 over 19 games (130⅔ innings).

Last year, he played in the Mexican League under a short-term contract while waiting for an opportunity to return to Major League Baseball, but there were no big league teams calling for him. He recorded 10 wins and no losses with an earned run average of 2.48 over 14 games (83⅓ innings).

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