Domingo German, a pitcher for the New York Yankees, has been suspended for 10 games and fined by Major League Baseball for violating rules regarding foreign substances. The announcement was made on Wednesday, and German will not appeal the decision. He will start serving the suspension on Wednesday and cannot be replaced on the roster, forcing the Yankees to play with 25 men instead of 26.
Violation of Rules
German was ejected during Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning when umpire James Hoye noticed something tackier than rosin on his hand. Hoye stated that German’s hand was extremely shiny and sticky, making it difficult for him to remove his fingers from German’s palm. Although German denied the accusation and claimed that he had only used rosin, Hoye’s crew had examined him during an April 15 start against Minnesota. While Hoye had asked German to wash rosin off his hand, some had remained on the pitcher’s pinkie finger, and the crew allowed him to stay in the game.
Consequences and Replacement
MLB senior vice president Michael Hill announced the suspension and fine. Barring any rainouts, German will be eligible to return to the game on May 28 against San Diego. The Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, expressed his disappointment with German’s actions but stated that the team would share the consequences and work together. Meanwhile, Luis Severino, a Yankees right-hander who has not pitched this season due to a right lat strain, is expected to be activated off the injured list on Sunday and take German’s spot in the rotation against the Cincinnati Reds. Severino, who is a two-time All-Star, allowed two runs and six hits over 3 1/3 innings on Tuesday in a rehab start with Double-A Somerset.
In other news, the Yankees put reliever Ian Hamilton on the 15-day injured list due to a strained right groin. The team recalled left-hander Nick Ramirez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Additionally, left-hander Carlos Rodón threw from 90 feet without pain on Wednesday. He has not pitched this season due to a sore left forearm and an ailing back.
German’s ejection was the fourth since Major League Baseball started its crackdown on prohibited grip aids two years ago and the second this season. New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was suspended for sticky stuff on April 20, while Seattle’s Hector Santiago and Arizona’s Caleb Smith were suspended in 2021.
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