Bauer Signs with Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball announced the signing of Trevor Bauer, the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner, for the upcoming season. Bauer will start the team's first game on April 21 and be mic'd up for all games and practices to create content for social media and streaming outlets. The move returns the pitcher to professional baseball in the United States after stints abroad.
Bauer last appeared in a Major League Baseball game on June 28, 2021, recording a win with six innings pitched, two runs allowed and eight strikeouts for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He received a 324-game suspension, later reduced to 184 games, for violating MLB's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy following sexual assault allegations. Bauer has maintained his innocence; he settled a civil case with accuser Lindsey Hill in late 2023, and a judge ordered Hill last June to pay him more than $300,000 for breaching settlement terms.
Since his suspension, Bauer pitched in Japan in 2023 and 2025 with a 2.59 ERA and 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023, rising to a 4.41 ERA and 8.2 strikeouts per nine in the later stint. He posted a 2.48 ERA and 13.0 strikeouts per nine innings in Mexico in 2024. The Ducks have hosted players such as Dontrelle Willis, Daniel Murphy, Rich Hill and Eric Gagne, with New York Mets figures Gary Carter and Bud Harrelson managing the club.
"I’m looking forward to competing in front of U.S. fans again this season," Bauer said. "The Ducks have had some incredible players come through their organization, and I’m excited to be part of that tradition." Ducks President/CEO Michael Pfaff added that Bauer's talent will aid the club while offering a platform to showcase skills to MLB teams and provide fans access to games.
