LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Major League Baseball Friday suspended Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer for two seasons without pay for what it deemed to be violations of the league's sex assault and domestic violence policies stemming from a woman's allegations that he abused her during a pair of sexual encounters.

Bauer said he strongly denies any such violations and will appeal the action.

"In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league's domestic violence & sexual assault policy," Bauer wrote on his Twitter page. "I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives & I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings."

Bauer has been on administrative leave since last July, shortly after the woman came forward and alleged that Bauer battered her during a pair of violent sexual encounters. A judge initially issued a temporary restraining order against Cy Young Award winner, but later declined to extend the order, ruling after an extensive hearing that Bauer and the woman engaged in rough sex within boundaries that the woman herself helped determine.

The District Attorney's Office also declined to pursue any charges in the case.

MLB announced the suspension for Bauer in a brief statement, saying he was being suspended for 324 games, the equivalent of two seasons, effective immediately. The commissioner's office said it would not comment on the case further.

The Dodgers issued a statement acknowledging the decision:

"The Dodgers organization takes all allegations of this nature very seriously and does not condone or excuse any acts of domestic violence or sexual assault. We've cooperated fully with MLB's investigation since it began, and we fully support MLB's joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, and the commissioner's enforcement of the policy. We understand that Trevor has the right to appeal the commissioner's decision. Therefore, we will not comment further until the process is complete."

Bauer, 31, signed a three-year contract with the Dodgers in February 2020, worth $102 million, including $40 million this season, reported to be the highest single-season salary in baseball history.

The two-year suspension will extend beyond his contract with the Dodgers.

Earlier this week, Bauer filed a defamation lawsuit against the San Diego woman who accused him of assault, alleging she pursued bogus criminal and civil actions against him, made "false and malicious" statements, and generated "a media blitz" based on her allegations.

The federal lawsuit re-states Bauer's contention that the pair engaged in "rough sex" that the woman herself requested and he consented to.

The complaint contends that after their first sexual encounter, the woman continued to pursue Bauer, "so she could have rough sex with him again, but this time, she told Mr. Bauer she wanted a rougher sexual experience. Unbeknownst to Mr. Bauer, who believed (the woman) was just expressing her sexual preferences, (her) goal was to lure Mr. Bauer into having a rougher sexual experience so she could later claim this sexual experience was not what she requested and thereby lay the groundwork for a financial settlement."

Bauer alleges that to implement her plan, the woman "unequivocally" told him that she was interested in engaging in even rougher sex on a second occasion, "communicating in explicit detail the sexual experience she desired," the suit says.

"During their second sexual encounter, the two again engaged in consensual rough sex that involved the rough sexual acts that (she) requested," the lawsuit alleges.

Two days later, the woman filed a false police report in which she accused Bauer of sexually assaulting her and engaging in sexual activities without her consent, the lawsuit alleges.

Last month, Bauer sued the sports website The Athletic, alleging that it falsely reported he had fractured the woman's skull during one of the sexual encounters.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported late Friday that another woman has come forward with claims of sexual misconduct by Bauer. According to the report, the woman had a consensual sexual relationship with Bauer nearly a decade ago when he was playing with a minor league team in Ohio.

The woman alleges that Bauer repeatedly choked her to unconsciousness — without her consent — during sexual encounters, and she said some of the encounters were captured on video.

Representatives for Bauer told The Post the accusations are "defamatory and baseless."