Urías accepted his 20-game suspension and apologized for what he called “inappropriate conduct.” Bauer became the first player to challenge a suspension under the policy and wrote: “In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league’s domestic violence & sexual assault policy.”

Commissioner Rob Manfred and an independent arbitrator — jointly selected by the league and the union — examined the league’s evidence separately. Both men determined Bauer had violated the policy and should receive the longest suspension ever levied under that policy. Bauer’s case is the only one with more than one publicly known accuser; two Ohio women made similar allegations to the Washington Post and the league considered those as well.

Manfred issued a 324-game suspension, which would have extended into the 2024 season. The arbitrator reduced that to 194 games and allowed Bauer to return right away.

Bauer says he has done nothing wrong, so an apology likely would not be forthcoming. The Dodgers could ask him to be reflective in some way, perhaps to pledge to improve on what he said on video were “poor choices” he had made “in regards to the people I have chosen to associate with.”

On the day the Dodgers introduced Bauer in 2021, he and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Bauer had learned from what each called “mistakes” amid allegations of using social media to harass women, spread conspiracy theories and use insensitive language.

Also, team executives spread word the Dodgers did not intend to pursue Carlos Correa, in part, for fear of a sharply divided reaction among the fan base because of his role in the Astros cheating scandal. The same executives would have to consider whether to endorse the return of Bauer despite a sharply divided reaction among the fan base.