Ex-Dodgers ace Trevor Bauer and his agent Rachel Luba can’t stop smiling at Opening Day in Japan . Credit: Rachel Luba/Instagram

With no MLB interest yet, former LA Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has taken his talents to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball for the 2025 season. This marks his second stint in Japan after previously playing here in 2023.

Like MLB’s Opening Day on Thursday, NPB also enjoyed festivities ahead of its curtain raiser. Bauer was accompanied by his agent, Rachel Luba, for the event.

On Friday, Bauer and Luba were all smiles at the Opening Day ceremony for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Bauer was standing beside Luba, who is his longtime agent and friend. Luba shared a photo of the two at Yokohama Stadium on Instagram.

“Opening Day ceremony for the BayStars! ⚾💙🐰” the post was captioned.

Luba also shared more highlights from the Opening Day ceremony inside the Yokohama Stadium earlier today.

“Few more Opening Day ceremony snaps! ⚾️🩵🐹” she wrote.

While Bauer didn’t pitch in the game, his team secured a 5-0 win over the Chunichi Dragons in the season opener.

Trevor Bauer impressed in the Mexican League last season with Rachel Luba expressing gratitude for the opportunity

While MLB teams haven’t shown any interest in bringing Trevor Bauer back into the fold after the pitcher last appeared in an MLB game with the Dodgers in 2021, the right-hander is not leaving his resume short on accolades.

From initially signing a five-game contract to extending it for the season, Bauer was a key asset for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League in 2024.

He finished the regular season with a perfect 10–0 record and 2.48 ERA with a league–leading 120 strikeouts across 83.1 innings pitched. However, due to gastrointestinal issues which were later diagnosed as ulcerative colitis, Bauer was sidelined for nearly two weeks in mid-July. He was later diagnosed with Guillain Barre syndrome, necessitating treatment.

He subsequently missed the first series of the LMB playoffs. Bauer returned for the next series and helped the team win the Serie del Rey, which is the MLB equivalent of the World Series.

After the win, Rachel Luba posted a story about Bauer being named the 2024 Mexican League Pitcher of the Year on Instagram and expressed her gratitude to the Diablos Rojos del México.

“The outpouring of love from the Diablos family is everything 🥹🫶🏻 No words can describe what it was like to watch @baueroutage win a championship for @diablosrojosmx and be so welcomed and loved by the entire Scarlett Nation, Diablos organization, and Harp family🙏🏻” she wrote.

Trevor Bauer registered a 1.67 ERA over 27 innings during the playoffs.