A judge in Los Angeles County Superior Court denied the request for a permanent restraining order on Thursday against Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, whom the applicant accused of sexual assault.
Judge Dianna Gould-Saltman made the ruling on the fourth day of the hearing. Bauer did not take the stand.
The woman previously was granted a temporary order of protection in late June after telling police in Pasadena, Calif., that Bauer choked her until she was unconscious and punched her during the course of two consensual sexual encounters.
The temporary order now has been rescinded.
The woman testified she did not agree to physical acts beyond sex but the judge said she failed to communicate to Bauer that they weren’t OK.
“When she set boundaries, (Bauer) respected them,” the judge said following closing arguments, per the Los Angeles Times.
Gould-Saltman also said she did not believe Bauer was a threat to the woman, who lives in the San Diego area. Their encounters occurred April 21 and May 16 at Bauer’s home in Pasadena, and police there are investigating the woman’s allegations to determine whether criminal charges could be filed.
“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,” said Shawn Holley, one of Bauer’s attorneys, in a statement. “We have expected this outcome since the petition was filed in June. But we appreciate the court reviewing all the relevant information and testimony to make this decision.”
Bauer has denied the allegations.
During testimony this week, the woman said in the wake of the alleged assault, she has lost weight, sleep, her job and her home and that she lives in fear of Bauer.
Bauer’s lawyers confronted her with text messages that suggested the woman wanted Bauer to be rough with her.
In testimony Wednesday, the woman told the court: “To me, text messages do not mean consent. 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.”
The 30-year-old Bauer has been on MLB administrative leave since July 2, and the current extension of the leave is due to expire on Friday. It is believed MLB and the players association will agree to another extension as the police investigation remains ongoing.
Major League Baseball also has opened a domestic violence investigation into Bauer, the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner as a member of the Cincinnati Reds.
In February, he signed a three-year, $102 million contract with his hometown Dodgers.
On the season, Bauer is 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 17 starts. He has 137 strikeouts over 107 2/3 innings pitched.
–Field Level Media