New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German has been placed on the restricted list and will enter treatment for alcohol abuse, the team announced in a statement.
Statement from the New York Yankees: pic.twitter.com/kZhJETdr7x
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 2, 2023
German has gone 5-7 with a 4.56 ERA in 20 games (19 starts) in 2023. It’s been a roller coaster of a season and not without controversy. In May, German drew a ten-game suspension for pitching with foreign substances.
By contrast, on June 28, he pitched a perfect game against the Oakland A’s.
Fans also haven’t forgotten Domingo German winning 18 games in 2019 and then going on leave for domestic violence a month before the playoffs. He served a suspension that cost him all of the shortened 2020 season.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman added that German won’t pitch again this season and called it a “serious situation.”
The good news for the Yankees is that filling German’s spot in the rotation will be easy. Popular lefty Nestor Cortes will return after missing two months with a shoulder injury and is a far better pitcher than German. The Yankees also have youngsters Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez available as needed. And, if manager Aaron Boone wants, he can do the occasional bullpen game.
As for Domingo German, this probably marks the end of his long Yankees tenure. He first arrived in a trade with the Marlins in December 2014. In six seasons, all with the Yankees, he is 31-28 with a 4.41 ERA. He is eligible for one more year of arbitration before free agency in 2025.
Cashman also added, without specifics, a “specific incident” on Tuesday that triggered German entering treatment. It’s hard to imagine the Yankees giving the embattled pitcher another chance, but he’s pitched well enough that another team might. Odds are the Yankees will just non-tender him in the offseason and he’ll hit the market as a free agent.
Hopefully, Domingo German can get the help he needs beforehand.
