Trevor Bauer blasts Japanese star slugger for "fake bunt" stunt with his nastiest pitch on the line

Trevor Bauer has been facing some of the toughest batters in Japan while pitching for the Yokohama DeNA Baystars in the Nippon Professional Baseball league this season. He recently documented an incident where he got the better of one of the best contact hitters in the NPB.

Trevor Bauer took to his socials to post an analysis video of his at-bar against Ryosuke Kikuchi. Like his other at-bat videos, the former Cy Young winner took the fans through the at-bat as he called out the pitches as he delivered them.

With a runner on base, Kikuchi attempted to bunt off the first two pitches. One ended up as a ball, while another was a foul. On the third pitch, he appeared to be bunting but switched his grip at the last moment, but a good pitch by Bauer earned a 1-2 count. He tried a similar 'fake bunt,' but a curveball by Bauer struck him out.

The former 2x All-Star noted his own efforts against the Hiyoshima Toyo Carp batter, who is a career .267 batter.

"This guy thought faking the bunt would work… it won't when you're landing your pitches," Bauer wrote in the comments as a promotion for 4APP.

Trevor Bauer's last two appearances in the NPB came against the Toyo Carps on August 5 and August 21. The former Dodgers and Reds pitcher has played since his August 21 start, when he earned 5 runs on 6.1 innings pitched. Bauer has a 4-10 record in the league in 20 games played with a high 4.34 ERA.

The NPB has been a step higher in quality than the Mexican baseball league, where Bauer, pitching for the Diablos Rojos last year, led them to the title and was adjudged the Mexican Player of the Year.

Trevor Bauer and Rachel Luba enjoy day out at sumo wrestling match

Trevor Bauer and his agent, Rachel Luba, had a fun time attending a traditional sumo wrestling match at the Ryogoku Sumo Wrestling Stadium in Tokyo. The two were joined by other stars like pitcher Andre Jackson as they embraced the entertainment of Japan.

After the game, the group was also invited by some wrestlers to join them for a home-cooked meal.

While Bauer continues to navigate his life in Japan, his return to the MLB has yet to take place. The pitcher has claimed in the past that the league is blocking his return, even though some teams are interested in signing him.

Edited by R. Nikhil Parshy