Bauer settles dispute with woman who accused him of assault

Former major league pitcher Trevor Bauer and a woman who accused him of beating and sexually assaulting her in 2021 have settled their legal dispute, Bauer’s attorneys said Monday.

“Both of their respective claims have been withdrawn with prejudice, effective today,” attorneys Jon Fetterolf and Shawn Holley said in a statement.

The former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher was placed on administrative leave by MLB in July 2021 after the allegations were made by the woman, who said Bauer assaulted her on two different occasions during what she said began as consensual sexual encounters between them.

The 32-year-old Bauer denied the allegation, saying the encounters were consensual.

Prosecutors decided not to file charges in February 2022.

Bauer was suspended an unprecedented 324 games by Major League Baseball, a ban reduced to 194 games by an indepedent arbitrator in December of 2022. After Bauer’s suspension ended, the Dodgers cut him and no team picked him up. He now plays in Japan.

Bauer sued the woman, and she countersued. Their settlement calls for no exchange of money between the parties, but the woman will receive a separate $300,000 payout from insurance, her attorney, Jesse Kaplan, said in a letter to Bauer’s lawyers.

Woodruff to miss wild card series

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff will miss this week’s wild card series against Arizona because of a right shoulder injury.

“Frankly, his availability for the postseason is up in the air at this point,” manager Craig Counsell said Monday, a day before the opener of the best-of-three series against the Diamondbacks.

Woodruff is dealing with what Counsell described as a capsular injury. He had been expected to start Game 2 for the NL Central champions, following Corbin Burnes.

Mets add Stearns as new president

David Stearns was formally appointed the first president of baseball operations in New York Mets history Monday, taking over the hometown team he cheered for as a child.

The former Milwaukee Brewers boss was introduced by owner Steve

Cohen at a Citi Field news conference on the heels of a hugely disappointing season. Despite championship aspirations and a record $355 million payroll on opening day, New York dropped out of playoff contention by midsummer and finished fourth in the NL East.

“I’ve got plenty of work to do,” Stearns said.

The 38-year-old executive was placed above general manager Billy Eppler and under Cohen in a working structure fairly common around baseball but new to the Mets.

Stearns will lead a search for the team’s next manager after Buck Showalter

was fired Sunday. And Stearns said he expects Pete Alonso to be New York’s first baseman on opening day next year. Also is eligible for free agency after the 2024 season.

Attendance up, tops 70 million

Major League Baseball attendance topped 70 million for the first time in six years.

Total attendance of 70.75 million was up 9.6% from last year’s 64.56 million, and the average of 29,295 was up 9.1% from last year’s 26,843, the commissioner’s office said Monday.