May on track to return after next rehab outing

the Dodgers hope will get the three-time Cy Young Award winner back in their starting rotation sooner rather than later.

“I think with Clayton, for me, obviously watching him move around is a good thing. When he gets a little more jovial I know he's getting close,” Roberts said.

“I don't know a time (for Kershaw to return to action). I don't think he does. But just him moving around, picking up a ball, playing catch soon – like I said earlier, I do expect it to be more shorter term. So I think that's how it's playing out.”

Kershaw missed just over a month earlier this year with another flare-up of his back problem.

Bauer lawsuit

Right-hander Trevor Bauer's legal entanglements have added another layer.

The San Diego woman who accused Bauer of sexual assault in 2021 has filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing him of sexual battery. The claim is a countersuit to the defamation lawsuit Bauer has filed against the woman.

In February, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office announced that he had decided not to pursue criminal charges against Bauer after an investigation into the woman's claims.

And a year ago, a judge denied the woman's request for a restraining order against Bauer, saying she had been “materially misleading” on points of her claim.

This April, MLB suspended Bauer for 324 games for violating the league's domestic violence policy — a suspension that will extend beyond the end of his contract with the Dodgers — after investigating incidents with multiple women.

Bauer was reportedly interviewed extensively by MLB's investigators.

Bauer has appealed the suspension and an appeals hearing with an arbiter is ongoing. It is not expected to be concluded until after the end of the 2022 season (including the postseason). Bauer was paid his full salary while on administrative leave last season but is not being paid during the suspension.