Trevor Bauer Recounts His Lidom Debut, Praising the Intensity and Noting Areas to Fix
Pitcher Trevor Bauer described his first game in the Dominican Republic, a contest full of intensity that was briefly halted by a lighting failure.
Key points
- Bauer had gone about two months without pitching in a game and was still recovering from a back injury.
- A failure in part of the lighting system stopped play for about 40 minutes.
- Bauer used the challenge system for the first time, after pitching in Mexico with an automated umpire.
- He faced former teammates, including Luis Liberato, with whom he played for the Diablos Rojos of Mexico in 2026.
Pitcher Trevor Bauer called his first game in the Dominican Republic a special experience. The atmosphere exceeded his expectations, with high-level defense, verbal exchanges between players, and unusual situations.
Bauer also faced former teammates, including Luis Liberato, with whom he had played for the Diablos Rojos of Mexico in 2026. The game was marked by intense competition and the distinctive character of Dominican baseball.
The game was disrupted several times. The longest stoppage came from a failure in part of the lighting system, which forced a delay of about 40 minutes. Bauer also used the challenge system to review umpire decisions for the first time, after pitching in Mexico with an automated umpire.
On his performance, the right-hander acknowledged he arrived without his usual competitive rhythm, having spent nearly two months without pitching in a game while still dealing with the effects of a back injury. "It's strange to be back in a game," he said. He also admitted difficulty finding consistency and controlling the strike zone, though he felt several pitches came close to what he wanted. "I have to get my rhythm back. I literally executed every pitch, but I missed by an inch or two," he explained.
To close, Bauer highlighted the intensity of the game and summed up his first appearance in the country as a day from which he took away many lessons.