Trevor Bauer made his debut for the minor league Yokohama BayStars on Sunday in his first mound appearance in any league since 2021.
Bauer allowed four hits, no runs and struck out six in four innings. About 2,600 fans flocked to Yokosuka, Japan to watch the launch of the 2020 Cy Young Award winner. The team said its live broadcast reached 77,000 viewers, 15 times the usual 5,000 viewers who tune in.
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Trevor Bauer #27 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pauses between pitches during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday June 23, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
«I think the day went very well,» Bauer said. «Things were good, command was good. Health was good. I feel like I’m ready to compete now, but I have to build my pitch count.»
He added that he would likely have another minor league start before moving on to the BayStars, who play in the Central Nippon Professional Baseball League.
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Fans wearing jerseys with baseball player Trevor Bauer’s name and number watch his pitch at a stadium in Yokosuka, Japan, Sunday, April 16, 2023. Bauer pitched four innings Sunday for the minor league team Yokohama BayStars in Yokosuka as they prepares to launch his first game with the Yokohama team. (AP Photo/Stephen Wade)
«I’ve stayed ready,» Bauer said. «I didn’t feel like I was absent at all. The game suited me well. It didn’t speed me up. I controlled the ball. There was really no adjustment. Just competitive baseball instead of throwing hitters in a cage.»
Bauer signed a one-year contract 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 for the allegations, but an arbitrator reduced the suspension.
Bauer has maintained that he did nothing wrong and that everything he and a San Diego woman did was consensual. He was never charged with any crime.
Yokohama BayStars Trevor Bauer is surrounded by reporters in Yokosuka, Japan on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Stephen Wade)
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He went 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 17 starts in 2021 before being suspended.
Associated Press contributed to this report.