NL West

Already regarded as one of the most exciting teams in Major League Baseball, the San Diego Padres had a relief pitcher make history Thursday in a surprising way. 

Daniel Camarena became the first reliever to hit a grand slam in a regular-season game since 36 years when he took three-time National League Cy Young winner Max Scherzer deep in the bottom of the fourth inning. 

Per MLB.com's Sarah Langs, the last reliever to hit a grand slam in a game was Don Robinson for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 12, 1985 against the Chicago Cubs. 

The Washington Nationals looked like they were on cruise control after the first 3.5 innings. They were leading 8-0 after Trea Turner's two-run homer in the top of the fourth. 

Camarena's grand slam off Scherzer was part of a seven-run inning that cut San Diego's deficit to 8-7. 

Prior to his home run on Thursday, Camarena only other plate appearance in an MLB game ended in a strikeout on June 19 against the Cincinnati Reds. 

The following article discusses sensitive details regarding allegations of intimate partner violence.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Trevor Bauer's administrative leave has been extended seven days by MLB, effective Friday, the league announced Thursday.

Bauer's co-agents, Jon Fetterolf and Rachel Luba, issued a statement on Thursday to continue to refute the allegations against the Dodgers star:

The news of the administrative leave being extended was first reported by Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.

MLB placed Bauer on paid administrative leave on July 2 for seven days after he was accused of sexual assault. The league's CBA requires the players association to agree to any extension of administrative leave which can be done in seven-day increments.

The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang reported a woman was granted a temporary restraining order ex parte against Bauer on June 28. The woman alleged he sexually and physically assaulted her on two occasions—April 21 and May 15.

The two initially began talking on Instagram before agreeing to meet. The woman said she consented to have sex with Bauer but that she "did not agree or consent to what he did next ... I did not agree to be sexually assaulted."

The woman said during their first encounter Bauer choked her until she lost consciousness and then penetrated her anally while she was unconscious.

The woman acknowledged in her ex-parte document she continued to talk with Bauer for multiple weeks after the alleged assault and that they "communicated in a sexual nature." They arranged for a second meeting at Bauer's home.

During that night, she said he again choked her to the point of unconsciousness and punched her in the head multiple times.

"After punching me several times, he then flipped me back onto my stomach and began choking me with hair," the woman said in the restraining order document, according to The Athletic. "I lost consciousness again."

She said she suffered two black eyes, a swollen lip and bruising to the side of her face as a result of the alleged assault. She said doctors said she suffered "significant head and facial trauma" and there were signs of basilar skull fracture.

Fetterolf previously released a statement confirming Bauer had met the woman and said they "had a brief and wholly consensual sexual relationship." 

Luba also supported her client following the allegation and said she's "privy to MUCH more information than what has been reported publicly."

The allegations remain under investigation by police in Pasadena, California, and Lt. Carolyn Gordon told USA Today's Josh Peter on July 2 the case is "bigger than we thought."

"I'm not going to reveal any of the information we've received," Gordon said. "We have some things to look into. Some things have been uncovered and we want to continue our investigation."

ESPN's Buster Olney reported July 5 that MLB investigators were hopeful of reaching out to Bauer and the woman as part of their investigation, which remains ongoing as well.

Bauer hasn't appeared for the Dodgers since his last start on June 28. The 2020 National League Cy Young is 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 17 appearances with the team in 2021.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts doesn't believe he's been performing up to expectations during the 2021 MLB season.

Betts described his play last year as "serviceable" before giving a more harsh assessment of how he's done so far this campaign.

"Bad," he told reporters. "This would be bad. I'm trying to turn it around and get this rolling."

The 28-year-old was just named as a reserve to his fifth All-Star Game. Through 73 games, he has 10 home runs, 31 RBI and a .247/.360/.452 slash line. His version of "bad' equates to ranking 16th in WAR among National League position players (2.2), per FanGraphs.

Betts' word choice regarding last year is perhaps more telling in how he characterized 2021. Winning a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and finishing runner-up in the Most Valuable Player voting would be a career year for a lot of players, but it was just "serviceable" for the Dodgers right fielder.

When you've already won an MVP and made a case for yourself as the second-best hitter in baseball behind Mike Trout, anything short of that can apparently feel underwhelming.

According to Betts, he has a .269 batting average on balls in play, which is only narrowly higher than his career low (.268), per FanGraphs. Getting a little more luck his way could have a corresponding effect on his numbers.

At 53-32, the Dodgers are 0.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants and own the third-best record in baseball. Baseball Prospectus gives them the best chance (20.5 percent) of winning the World Series. 

Even if Betts continues to be "bad," L.A. should remain in a strong position to make a fourth Fall Classic in five seasons.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that he does not expect starting pitcher Trevor Bauer to return to the team before the end of this week.

"I don't see it happening," Roberts said in response to a question from Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.

Major League Baseball placed Bauer on seven-day paid administrative leave last Friday as the league continues its investigation into a sexual assault allegation against the pitcher.

Per Juan Toribio of MLB.com, the league would need approval from the Major League Baseball Players Association to extend the administrative leave for additional seven-day periods.

The Pasadena (California) Police Department said that it is investigating a 27-year-old woman's allegation that Bauer sexually and physically assaulted her on April 21 and May 16.

The woman was granted a temporary ex parte restraining order on June 28 after filing a 67-page document containing graphic details of the alleged assaults, including images of her injuries, per Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic.

Lt. Carolyn Gordon of the Pasadena Police Department provided an update to Josh Peter of USA Today on Friday.

The following article discusses sensitive details regarding allegations of sexual assault.

Investigators and officials from MLB are hopeful of meeting with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer and the woman who said he sexually assaulted her, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. 

Olney reported the investigators have reached out to the woman's attorney but haven't yet spoken with her directly. He added that "investigators are delving into Bauer's history and the question of whether there have been other incidents" but haven't set a time to meet with the starting pitcher.

On Friday, MLB placed Bauer on administrative leave for seven days, an option available through a joint agreement between the league and MLB Players Association. The period of administrative leave can be extended for seven-day increments.

The move came after a judge granted a woman a temporary ex parte restraining order against Bauer.

One of Bauer's agents, Rachel Luba, said Thursday she's "privy to MUCH more information than what has been reported publicly" and expressed her support for Bauer:

Jon Fetterolf, another of his agents, said Tuesday that Bauer had previously met with the woman and that they "had a brief and wholly consensual sexual relationship." Fetterolf also alleged the woman had sent messages to Bauer asking him to "choke [her] out."

According to The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang, the woman said the 2020 National League Cy Young winner assaulted her on two occasions—April 21 and May 15.

The woman said that she initially consented to sex with Bauer prior to their first meeting but that she "did not agree or consent to what he did next ... I did not agree to be sexually assaulted." The woman said she "lost consciousness" after being choked by Bauer and that he penetrated her anally while she was unconscious.

During their second encounter, Bauer allegedly punched the woman multiple times, and she declared as part of seeking the restraining order that she had "two black eyes, a bloodied swollen lip, significant bruising and scratching to one side of her face."

Police in Pasadena, California, are investigating the allegations, and Lt. Carolyn Gordon told USA Today's Josh Peter on Friday the case is "bigger than we thought."

"I’m not going to reveal any of the information we’ve received," Gordon said. "We have some things to look into. Some things have been uncovered and we want to continue our investigation."

San Diego Padres prospect CJ Abrams will miss the rest of the 2021 season after being diagnosed with a fractured left tibia and sprained left MCL, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic.

Abrams was involved in a collision at second base during Wednesday's game and exited in the ninth inning without being able to put much weight on the injured leg, per MLB.com.

The estimated recovery for the injury is three months.

The 20-year-old has spent the entire season playing in Double-A for the San Antonio Missions. Abrams is considered the No. 8 prospect in baseball and the second-best player in the Padres system behind pitcher MacKenzie Gore, per MLB.com.

Abrams was also slated to represent the National League during the 2021 Futures Game.

Initially a first-round pick in the 2019 draft, the infielder has showcased his wide skill set this season while hitting .296 with a .363 on-base percentage, 14 doubles and 13 stolen bases. He also has just four errors in 33 games at shortstop and six at second base.

Even in an organization loaded with young talent, Abrams still stands out as a potential game-changer down the line.

While the latest injury could slow his development, the timetable should allow the prospect to return to full strength in 2022.

The following article discusses sensitive details regarding allegations of intimate partner violence.

Pasadena Police Department Lt. Carolyn Gordon said Friday they received new leads that will extend the investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer.

"We were looking into some things and we thought we were nearing the end," Gordon, who's in charge of the investigation, told Josh Peter of USA Today. "We are not close to the end. This investigation is bigger than we thought. So we have to look a few more places. We want to try to uncover as much stuff as we can."

MLB announced Friday that Bauer would be placed on seven-day administrative leave while the league continues its own investigation into the matter. He was scheduled to start Sunday against the Washington Nationals. Dodgers president Stan Kasten discussed his view of the situation with reporters later Friday:

I think that the procedures that are in place, which have been agreed upon with the union, are the correct, the proper, the best way to get all the facts, and to get the right outcome. All of us have personal opinions and views. All of us with the team, all of us on our staff, all of our fans, all of our families, we all have personal views. But for now, I think it is best the way it is being handled—professionally by the Commissioner's Office. ... I trust that process to get us where it needs to go.

Gordon, who declined to provide any further details about the new information they received, shot down any suggestion the situation is being handled differently because of Bauer's status as a high-profile person.

"So whether he's a celebrity or not, there are certain things we have to look into and we want to complete our investigation," Gordon told USA Today. "We don't want to turn a case over to the district attorney and not complete an investigation."

The 27-year-old woman filed a temporary ex parte domestic violence restraining order against Bauer on Monday. She confirmed they had consensual sex on two occasions, April 21 and May 16, but said Bauer became aggressive and left her with "significant head and facial trauma," per ESPN's Jeff Passan and Alden Gonzalez. She said he also twice used her long hair to choke her until she was unconscious.

On the first occasion, the woman said she awoke to Bauer penetrating her anally and told him the next morning that she hadn't wanted him to do that. After being choked unconscious at their second meeting, the woman said she was woken by Bauer punching her in the face multiple times.

"I agreed to have consensual sex," the woman said. "However, I did not agree or consent to what he did next. I did not agree to be sexually assaulted."

She added: "I am deeply concerned that no arrest has been made or charges filed."

Bauer's representatives released a statement Tuesday saying the sex was "wholly consensual" and provided messages allegedly sent between the Dodgers pitcher and the woman in which she asked him to "choke me out." Here is more of their statement, via ESPN:

Mr. Bauer and [the woman] have not corresponded in over a month and have not seen each other in over six weeks. Her basis for filing a protection order is nonexistent, fraudulent, and deliberately omits key facts, information, and her own relevant communications. Any allegations that the pair's encounters were not 100 percent consensual are baseless, defamatory, and will be refuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The woman, who said she's been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress, explained she was "absolutely terrified" about what would happen once the news became public because of Bauer's celebrity status but decided to come forward anyway, per ESPN.

"I do not want Trevor to put anyone else through what I suffered," she said.

Bauer would be eligible to come off administrative leave July 9, but the Commissioner's Office can ask the Players Association to jointly increase his time on leave in seven-day increments if the investigation remains ongoing.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn't believe the sexual assault allegation against pitcher Trevor Bauer will impact team performance moving forward.

Roberts' statement to reporters comes hours after Major League Baseball put Bauer on seven-day paid administrative leave pending a league investigation. On Wednesday, Pasadena police confirmed an investigation into Bauer was opened several weeks ago.

Katie Strang and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic reviewed a 67-page ex-parte document submitted as part of a restraining order request made by a woman who said Bauer sexually and physically assaulted her on two occasions.

Medical records provided in the document said following their second meeting, the woman suffered black eyes, a bloodied swollen lip, significant bruising and scratching to the side of her face, per Strang and Ghiroli. The woman also said Bauer caused her to lose consciousness "multiple times" and sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious during what began as a consensual sexual encounter. 

The Dodgers' manager told reporters on Thursday that Bauer was likely to make his scheduled start on Sunday, saying the league had recommended the team keep Bauer in the lineup. 

Bauer, who through his agents denied the allegation, has chosen not to appeal the league's decision and will now miss that start following his placement on administrative leave. 

“MLB’s investigation into the allegations made against Trevor Bauer is ongoing. While no determination in the case has been made, we have made the decision to place Mr. Bauer on seven-day administrative leave effective immediately," the league said in a statement. "MLB continues to collect information in our ongoing investigation concurrent with the Pasadena Police Department’s active criminal investigation. We will comment further at the appropriate time.”

The reigning Cy Young-winner could see his leave extended in seven-day increments if agreed to by both MLB and the players association. 

As far as it pertains to the Dodgers' clubhouse, the team will wrap up a four-game series against the Nats on Sunday before visiting the Miami Marlins for another four games from July 5-8. A three game series in Los Angeles against the Arizona Diamondbacks from July 9-11 will send the team into the All-Star break.

Bauer would be eligible to make one more start before the break if he returns from administrative leave after seven days. 

The second half of the season begins with the Dodgers traveling to the Colorado Rockies on July 16. Los Angeles entered Friday 50-31 and a half-game back of the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West after going 6-4 over its last 10 games.    

Nine months after winning the franchise's first World Series title in 32 years, the Los Angeles Dodgers visited the White House and President Joe Biden to commemorate their memorable title run. 

The Dodgers made their first visit to Washington, D.C., this season on Thursday when they opened a four-game series against the Washington Nationals. 

Friday's trip makes the reigning World Series champs the first professional sports team to visit the White House since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year. 

Per Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times, the party is being limited to "around 50 people" due to ongoing coronavirus protocols.   

Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly, known for having a colorful personality on the mound, brought that unique presence with him to the White House. 

Per Jomboy Media, Kelly acquired that jacket on June 29 when he traded his game-worn Dodgers jersey with a fan in the stands at Dodger Stadium. 

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris couldn't match Kelly in the fashion department, but they both received jerseys from the Dodgers during the team's visit. 

“I think what we discovered is that we need sports more than we ever realized," Biden said during his press conference with the Dodgers. 

The president referred to the Dodgers as “a lot more than a baseball club; they are a pillar of American culture." He also praised the organization for opening up its stadium to serve as a mass testing site, COVID-19 vaccination center and voting site last year. 

The Dodgers are certainly in a strong position to make a return trip to the White House, either later this year or at some point in 2022, to celebrate another World Series title. 

Los Angeles' 50-31 record ranks second in the National League, behind only the San Francisco Giants (50-30). The Dodgers are the only NL team to have a run differential of at least +100 so far this season (+110).