Dodgers: Dave Roberts’ Trevor Bauer comments draw scorn

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be rostering Trevor Bauer for the time being, caught in a disastrous contractual situation after the horrifying allegations of sexual assault that emerged against him this week.

The least the team could do, though, is remove Bauer from their immediate narrative. Based on Dave Roberts’ response to the media on Thursday, they have no intention of doing so.

Confronted with the question of where Bauer was and how the team’s rotation would shake out (presumably without him), Roberts instead told the media that Bauer remains with the team ahead of their series with the Nationals and he intends to start him in Sunday’s game.

Whether that was a trial balloon to gauge media scorn or not has yet to be seen, but Bauer making that start would seem to be a near impossibility.

Dave Roberts said Trevor Bauer is with the team in DC. They plan on letting him start Sunday, and Roberts said their direction was to not do anything until they get guidance from MLB.

“It’s out of our hands,” Roberts said.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 1, 2021

The Dodgers cannot allow Trevor Bauer to start Sunday.

Roberts claiming the situation is “out of hands” is one of the more insane directives we’ve seen from a Major League manager, who could absolutely take control of the situation if he wanted to. Roberts’ job is to manage the team. For nine innings or more every day, he makes decisions about which players go where, who should leave and who should stay.

If he believes MLB is acting too slowly for his liking, or if he had a judgment to levy, he could do so expeditiously.

Roberts’ full quote laid bare that the summation of his words conveyed exactly what he intended to.

Dave Roberts on the decision to still start Trevor Bauer on Sunday even as they wait for MLB’s investigation: pic.twitter.com/sqU0iZJKAH
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 1, 2021

“Following the lead of Major League Baseball”? Well, I guess we have an early verdict on who they’ll side with, when given the chance to course-correct.

Per Roberts, the Dodgers reached out to MLB, who told them to proceed with Bauer as their scheduled starter for Sunday in a game that will be both a sideshow and an affront to victims everywhere if it goes as currently planned.

We’ll have to wait and see what transpires, but this was a nightmarish start.

Dodgers and MLB must take action now on Trevor Bauer

Los Angeles Dodgers righty Trevor Bauer remains more trouble than he's worth. This has very little to do with his recent allegations.

The Dodgers cannot allow Trevor Bauer to start Sunday.

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