On Wednesday, New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German was suspended for 10 games because he violated league rules on foreign substances.
German won’t call his suspension, and it will begin immediately. He’ll be on the 28th. May return against the San Diego Padres.
The penalty came after German was kicked out in the fourth round of the team’s 6-3 win against the Toronto Blue Jays. German, said Chief of Staff James Hoye, had the “most sticky hand I’ve ever experienced.”
This is the second time this season that Germany has been involved in a controversy over delicate substances on its hands. On April 15th, he was allowed to stay against the Minnesota Twins after being ordered to wash his hands. The referees at the time (and three of the four who worked the Twins also worked on Tuesday) said that Germany was allowed to continue because his hand did not go beyond what they considered excessive persistence.
“They heard he was too sticky and they made him run. Of course not. But we’re talking too, what’s the line? So it’s hard,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday night. “And of course it went up to a level — and of course it was a little crosshair — but it was raised to a level that they didn’t think was satisfactory. And ultimately, that is the responsibility of Domingo: we are in a better position.”
German, 30, started nine times this season. He compiled a 3.75 ERA (116 ERA+) and a 3.27 strikeout-walk for 48 innings.
German, of course, is not the most important pitcher to sus[end for violating the policy of strengthening the holding until now. This distinction would, however, belong to New York Mets ace Max Scherzer, who only recently returned from his suspension.
