Trevor Bauer pitches again in a half-full Japanese minor league stadium after being cut by Dodgers

Trevor Bauer started his second minor league game in Japan on Saturday and said he needs to increase his pitches before making his debut for Yokohama’s DeNA BayStars.

The former Cy Young winner, who was not signed by any major league club following allegations of domestic violence, joined Yokohama last month on a one-year contract.

Bauer said he doesn’t know when he will leave for Yokohama, and whether he does, he doesn’t say.

Nor the team, which won its last national title 25 years ago and counts on Bauer to perform.

“It’s just about building up the pitches now, making sure I can pitch a whole game if need be,” Bauer said after throwing 77 pitches in five innings in a minor league game southwest of Tokyo.

Bauer is playing in Japan after serving a 194-game suspension over sexual assault allegations

Bauer responds to journalists’ questions after pitching in Japan’s minor leagues

He gave up an earned run on two hits. Bauer struck out two batters and left the sixth inning after walking the first batter and allowing an infield hit to the next.

Bauer said his fastball was “not as good” as it was on his minor league debut last weekend. He called this performance “good, not great” on a chilly day in a stadium with a completely unpaved infield.

A few thousand fans were in the stands, many wearing Bauer’s No. 96 jersey. Japanese people were mostly uncritical of the signing and Bauer was – as expected – full of praise for things in Japan.

“It thinks it’s been good. I didn’t expect it to be this hard,” he said. ‘I know how to get to and from work, that’s the most important thing. I feel like I’ve done pretty well so far.”

He said Saturday’s weather had no effect on him and the timing of his first start with Yokohama was unclear.

“That’s something we need to talk to the team about, what (number of pitches) they want me to achieve,” he said. “Today I knew the plan was to get to around 75 and we succeeded. So we get together and decide on a plan to move forward.”

A good guess might be the first week of May during Golden Week, a traditional holiday for many Japanese.

The Dodgers cut ties with Bauer after he was initially suspended for 324 games following 2021 sexual assault allegations by Lindsey Hill (pictured right)

Hill has accused Bauer of leaving her with bruises on her face and body after intercourse

Last week, Bauer made his minor league debut and many fans wore shirts with his name on them

Bauer was unable to find a major league team to sign him this season, even after an arbitrator reduced his unprecedented 324-game suspension for violating the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policies.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred suspended Bauer last April after a San Diego woman said he beat and sexually assaulted her in 2021. Bauer has said that everything that happened between them was by mutual consent.

He was never charged with a crime and a California judge found the woman’s claims “materially misleading.”

Joining his hometown Dodgers for the 2021 season, Bauer was 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 17 starts before being placed on paid leave. The Dodgers are responsible for $22.5 million of this season’s salary.