In Photos: Trevor Bauer unveils custom Mexican chocolate celebrating pitcher's LMB single-game strikeout record

A few months ago, few baseball pundits expected Trevor Bauer to be playing at all, let alone smashing records. Although it did not happen in MLB, the pitching ace has been doing plenty of both.

A member of LMB's Diablos Rojos, Bauer recently had a game of historic proportions. On June 21, the 33-year-old struck out 19 batters from the Guerreros de Oaxaca in 8.2 innings. The 19 strikeouts set a Mexican League baseball record.

Bauer, not one to shy away from attention, was sure to mark the occasion. On his personal Instagram, Bauer shared some images of a custom-made chocolate bar to mark the occasion. In his caption, the pitcher claimed that "the best chocolate in Mexico is called Trevor Bauer." The wrapper of the chocolate, produced by his team, features "19" in tribute of his strikeout figure.

With the victory, Bauer is now 9-0 with a 1.56 ERA in 69.1 innings for the Diablos. Despite the fact that he has not played in an MLB game in over three years, many pundits and fans still consider Bauer to be one of the best pitchers in the world.

The LA-native's MLB career was abruptly put on hold in June 2021, when a woman accused the star pitcher of sexual assault during an encounter that began as consensual. At the time, Bauer was 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was placed on administrative leave before being banned for 194 games the following spring.

"Trevor Bauer pitched 8.2 innings yesterday while striking out 19 hitters in the Mexican league. Absolutely insane. Yet MLB doesn’t want him back in the league…." - Baseball King

The winner of the 2020 NL Cy Young Award with the Cincinnati Reds, Bauer chose to sign with Japan's Yokohama BayStars for 2023, where he went 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA. Despite being eligible for re-entry into MLB, teams have given him a wide berth, and Bauer remains in Mexico.

Trevor Bauer believes MLB return is still possible

Earlier this month, Bauer posted a video on his Instagram account showing him grabbing a Houston Astros hat off a rack. The footage ignited a furore around a possible deal with one of MLB's most polarizing team. As Tyler Maher put it for SI:

"Signing Bauer would make plenty of sense for both sides, so don't be surprised if they strike a deal sooner rather than later"

Rumors notwithstanding, Trevor Bauer need only continue to pitch the way he has before MLB clubs will be unable to turn the cold shoulder any longer.