Bauer puts Dodgers in a difficult position

It was only a matter of time before Trevor Bauer was suspended.

The reason, well that was a little out of left field.

Bauer was put on seven-day paid administrative leave as he faces sexual assault charges, and investigations from the Pasadena Police Department and Major League Baseball.

Remember when sticky stuff was his biggest problem?

The more starts Bauer misses, the more likely the Dodgers miss the playoffs.

But that is not the biggest problem facing the Dodgers or baseball or professional sports.

When will sexual assault, domestic violence, any sort of harassment women in sports face going to stop being tolerated? 

It’s beyond tolerated. It’s accepted behavior on so many levels throughout sports, throughout politics, throughout society. 

If baseball and the Dodgers want to send the right message, Bauer should never be allowed to play baseball again.

Baseball has banned players for less -- gambling, fixing games, using steroids, abusing their own bodies. But when it comes to abusing women’s bodies, all bets are off. Baseball says, have at it. Keep those dollars rolling in and baseball players on the field.

It’s pathetic.

Bauer missed his scheduled start against the Washington Nationals on Sunday. The Dodgers won the game anyway, 5-1, going with a bullpen game. Garrett Cleavinger started and the Dodgers used eight pitchers to win their ninth game in a row. Losing Bauer didn’t hurt the Dodgers much this time. But how many times can the Dodgers use eight pitchers in a game before it starts to cause more damage than good?

All the while Bauer brought his chaos with him to Washington, D.C., the Dodgers were riding a nine-game winning streak, moving into first-place tie with the surprising San Francisco Giants and visiting the White House to celebrate their 2020 World Series championship.

Instead of enjoying a long-awaited midseason surge and their recent success, the Dodgers have been answering questions about Bauer.

Can they release him?

Can they trade him?

Can they welcome him back to the rotation?

How will this affect the team?

Does he deserve a spot on the team?

How long will the investigations last? 

How will fans react to Bauer when he steps on the field again?

Because he will play again this season.

Will he be met with applause and cheers?

Or will fans boo him like a starter for the Giants?

It’s hard rooting for a team that has a player who is accused of sexual assault.

But Bauer will still have fans.

There will be those who say, root for the team, not the players.

The players are not perfect, but they do make up the teams. 

This will be a difficult hurdle for the Dodgers to overcome.

But one they can fix by simply saying, bye Bauer.

Dodger starter power rankings:

1. Walker Buehler
2. Julio Urias
3. Clayton Kershaw
4. Victor Gonzalez
5. Garrett Cleavinger

The Chicago Cubs were tied for first place in the National League Central standings when they no-hit the Dodgers on June 24. Since then, the Cubs lost eight games in a row and were 8.5 games out of first place after losing 3-2 to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. 

The Dodgers head to Miami to start a four-game series against the Marlins on Monday, then return home for a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bauer’s seven-day leave ends on Saturday against the Diamondbacks.