Trevor Bauer files defamation lawsuit against the Athletic and writer Molly Knight

Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer filed a defamation lawsuit towards the Athletic and considered one of its former writers Tuesday, alleging “a marketing campaign to maliciously goal and harass” him.

The grievance, filed in United States District Court docket in Los Angeles, claims the web site and the author, Molly Knight, printed knowingly false details about Bauer on-line and on Twitter “with hatred, unwell will, and spite, with the intent to hurt Mr. Bauer or in blatant disregard of the substantial probability of inflicting him hurt.”

The defamation lawsuit is the second Bauer has filed this month. He beforehand sued the web site Deadspin and its managing editor.

In that go well with, Bauer famous that Deadspin had cited the Athletic in reporting that Bauer had fractured the cranium of a girl who had accused him of sexual assault. The girl had not suffered a fractured cranium, in response to publicly out there medical data she filed in courtroom, and Bauer stated the Athletic had corrected its reporting earlier than Deadspin posted its story.

In Tuesday’s go well with, nevertheless, Bauer alleged the correction was “inadequate and inaccurate” and stated the Athletic had acted with “precise malice” as a result of it had the medical data that confirmed a cranium fracture had been dominated out.

Bauer additionally alleged the Athletic had mischaracterized the findings of the choose who denied the girl’s request for a restraining order and claimed the web site’s purportedly errant reporting apparently confirmed to Knight what his attorneys known as “the righteousness” of “her frequent complaints concerning the Los Angeles Dodgers’ resolution so as to add Mr. Bauer to the crew.”

As proof of the Athletic’s alleged “marketing campaign” towards Bauer, the go well with cited the work of seven of the web site’s staffers, together with nationally famend reporter Ken Rosenthal.

Knight declined to remark. A spokesman for the New York Occasions, the guardian firm of the Athletic, didn’t instantly reply to a request a remark.

In February, the Los Angeles County district legal professional declined to cost Bauer with against the law. The official declination type stated Bauer had been investigated for “assault by means more likely to trigger nice bodily hurt, sodomy of a sleeping particular person and home violence” however that there was inadequate proof to show any prices in courtroom.

In response, Bauer launched a seven-minute video he known as “The Reality,” by which he stated he had engaged in tough however consensual intercourse.

“I by no means assaulted her in any means, at any time,” he stated.

Bauer final pitched for the Dodgers on June 28 of final yr, two days earlier than the girl filed her petition for a restraining order. On July 2, MLB put him on administrative go away. The go away has been repeatedly prolonged since then, with the consent of the gamers’ union, with the newest extension lasting via April 16.

Main League Baseball can droop a participant for violating its sexual assault coverage even when he isn’t charged with against the law.

Bauer is within the second yr of a three-year, $102-million contract with the Dodgers. Though he didn’t pitch within the second half of final season and won’t open this season on the roster, he has not misplaced any of his wage as a result of gamers are paid whereas on administrative go away. Underneath baseball’s sexual assault and home violence coverage, gamers are usually not paid throughout a suspension.