“He fought valiantly” - Trevor Bauer breaks down intense strikeout in Mexican League action

Ever since he inked his deal with LMB's Diablos, Trevor Bauer has been putting forth a performance for the ages. Although his figures are far greater than whatever was attained in MLB, Bauer's trademark flair for the dramatic remains exactly the same.

In a recent start last Friday against the Olmecas de Tabasco, Bauer was again dealing. The 33-year-old pitched 7.2 innings, striking out seven and allowing two earned runs. During one of the more dramatic plate appearances, Bauer employed his trademark approach, with some interesting results.

During one of his strikeouts, Trevor Bauer challenged Tabasco hitter and former MLB first baseman Luke Voit. After pitching to a full count, Bauer was able to get Voit to swing hard on a slider that tailed down and away.

"He Fought Valiantly" - Trevor Bauer

During the exchange, a microphone captured Bauer's back and forth between catcher Gabriel Gutierrez. When the strikeout was finally notched, Bauer captioned Voit a "wind farmer" and captioned the video by simply stating "he fought valiantly."

With the win for the Diablos, Trevor Bauer improved his record to 8-0, and he now holds a 1.63 ERA on the year. Earlier this week, the pitcher announced that he would be remaining in Mexico City for the duration of the season after failing to secure an MLB contract.

In 2021, Bauer was 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when he was hit with some heinous accusations. The accuser, Lindsey Hill, alleged that Bauer had assaulted him during a sexual encounter that began as consensual. Although Bauer was cleared of charges, he was suspended for 194 games by MLB.

"Trevor Bauer recorded 9-straight strikeouts and had 14 total on the day in his second start with the Diablos" - Baseball LifeStyle

A 2020 Cy Young winner as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, Bauer opted to spend the 2023 season pitching in Japan, where he went 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Despite hoping to re-sign in MLB, Bauer was not contacted by any MLB clubs, which led to his deal with the Diablos.

Trevor Bauer has not relinquished his hopes of MLB return

Although Bauer is certainly good enough to play in MLB, teams are aware of the reputational baggage that he carries. As such, much trepidation remains. Recently, a report from journalist Holly Baylor claimed that the Houston Astros have reached out to Bauer regarding a potential private tryout. As Evan Massey wrote for SI:

"Could the Astros entertain signing Bauer? The answer is an absolute yes, they could. Will they? That remains to be seen, but this report certainly sounds like it's possible."

Indeed, much about Bauer's baseball future remains to be seen, but at this rate, it is unlikely he will be driven out of the Diablos' roster anytime soon.