Trevor Bauer’s journey back to Major League Baseball encountered a significant obstacle on Wednesday afternoon. The former Cy Young Award winner, who is essentially sidelined by MLB, was involved in a serious accident in Arizona. Bauer, 35, experienced a surprise collision while driving his black McLaren on a street near Phoenix.
According to TMZ, Bauer was abiding by the 45 mph speed limit and was not at fault for the crash. Emergency responders indicated that none of the parties involved required hospital treatment. Bauer emerged from the incident without injuries.
Interestingly, this wasn’t Bauer’s first unfortunate experience with a McLaren. In 2019, his parked 2016 McLaren 650S was damaged when a truck tire flew off a highway and struck it at a dealership lot.
Bauer rose to prominence in the baseball world after achieving a Cy Young Award and securing a three-year, $102 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, his career took a tumultuous turn in 2021 due to sexual assault allegations made by Lindsey Hill that attracted widespread media attention. Although Bauer has maintained his innocence and no criminal charges were filed, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred imposed a record-breaking 324-game suspension, later reduced to 194 games by an arbitrator.
Despite not facing criminal charges, Bauer’s presence has been unwelcome in all MLB front offices. For the past few years, he has been pitching outside the MLB spotlight. Currently, he plays for the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks, with a record of 4-1 and a 2.43 ERA.
Bauer was in Arizona to address back spasms. He has spent several months actively seeking MLB opportunities, even willing to play for the league minimum salary. Following the accident, Bauer continues his pursuit of a return to the major leagues, demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity.