Trevor Bauer Won’t Face Long-term Restraining Order in Alleged Sexual Assault

A California judge dissolved the temporary restraining order obtained against Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer by a woman who's accused him of sexual assault.

Los Angeles Superior Court judge Dianna Gould-Saltman ruled Thursday that Bauer "does not pose a threat to the woman and that her injuries were not the result of anything she verbally objected to," per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez and Tisha Thompson.

"[The] injuries as shown in the photographs are terrible," Gould-Saltman said. "If she set limits and he exceeded them, this case would've been clear. But she set limits without considering all the consequences and respondent did not exceed limits that the petitioner set."

Shawn Holley and Jon Fetterolf, Bauer's attorneys, issued a statement on the ruling:

"We are grateful to the Los Angeles Superior Court for denying the request for a permanent restraining order and dissolving the temporary restraining order against Mr. Bauer today. While we have expected this outcome since the petition was filed in June, we appreciate the Court reviewing all relevant information and testimony to make this informed decision."

Lisa Helfend Meyer, the woman's attorney, also released a statement after the decision, via Gonzalez and Thompson:

"While our client is disappointed about the judge's ruling, she is hopeful that Mr. Bauer will voluntarily seek the help he needs to make sure that no other woman in a dating relationship with him suffers the same traumatic fate that she did. That is why she was willing to come forward and endure the victim blaming from Mr. Bauer that she knew would inevitably result. Keeping not only herself but also other women safe from the hands of this troubled man has always been a priority -- and will continue to be so."

The judge's ruling came after four days of testimony, including nine hours over three days by the woman, 27, who said Bauer strangled her unconscious, penetrated her anally and punched her in the face, buttocks and genitals without her consent during two sexual encounters that took place April and May, per The Athletic's Brit Ghiroli and Katie Strang.

Bauer's attorneys called the encounters "wholly consensual" and presented text messages the woman sent to the MLB player in which she asked him to "gimme all the pain" and to choke her out. She argued his actions went above and beyond what they'd discussed, according to ESPN.

"To me, text messages do not mean consent," she said. "I did not consent to hurting all over my body and being put in the hospital and having things done to me when I was unconscious. That is not consensual."

Bauer was scheduled to testify during Thursday's final hearing, but was removed from the witness list because he planned to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights, which state no person "shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself."

The 30-year-old California native was placed on administrative leave by MLB on July 2 as part of a joint agreement with the players association. It's been extended several times, most recently through Friday, amid a criminal investigation by the Pasadena Police Department and a separate probe by MLB.

While MLB can issue a punishment at any time, Gonzalez noted the league will likely wait for the conclusion of the police investigation before making a ruling and thus may seek another extension of Bauer's leave despite Thursday's ruling.

Bauer, who signed a three-year, $102 million contract with the Dodgers in February, has posted a 2.59 ERA across 17 starts in his first year with the club. He last pitched June 28.