Yankees right-hander Domingo German, who’s serving the remainder of an 81-game suspension Major League Baseball handed him in January, may have been able to help the club during the postseason this fall. However, manager Aaron Boone said Monday that German won’t have enough time to ramp up for the playoffs, meaning he won’t pitch in 2020, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. The Yankees expect German to return for spring training next year.
German was a key part of the Yankees’ rotation last year, during which he notched a 4.03 ERA/4.72 FIP with 9.63 K/9 and 2.45 BB/9 in 143 innings, but he hasn’t pitched in just over 12 months (Sept. 18, 2019) on account of a violation of Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. The 28-year-old German then seemed to hint at retirement in July before walking those comments back.
Aside from Gerrit Cole, the Yankees appear to lack shoo-ins for the 2021 rotation, so German could re-enter the unit – especially with Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ on the brink of free agency. But the Yankees are at least on track to welcome back Luis Severino, who missed all of this season because of Tommy John surgery, while Deivi Garcia and Jordan Montgomery are among those who could compete with German for spots.
Why wasn’t he being built up while he served out his suspension??
Maybe he wasn’t allowed to do baseball activities during his suspension. Even so, the playoffs aren’t the time to have him start live game action. Better to let him wait until next year.
Yeah, but at least maybe some kind of contribution to the BP.
I mean… you can’t possibly “ban him” from participating in “baseball activities” lol he wasn’t in prison… even if he wasn’t allowed to workout with the team/at their facility… he could’ve been working out independently at home/at a facility somewhere. It does seem really strange that he wasn’t saying in/getting in shape knowing that he was going to be eligible to return this season. Either the Yankees just didn’t want anything to do with him this year… or he’s really being selfish/stupid and didn’t stay in/get in shape like he should have been doing the past few months with the anticipation of coming back once his suspension was up. Of course it is entirely possible that the Yankees made the decision just based on that even if he is/was in shape — they didn’t feel comfortable enough with him being “game ready” in time for important games in the post-season. But still… it’s on him if he’s actually “not in shape” to return… that’s just being lazy/selfish!
The guy must have issues, not a really good man. My guess is the NYY distances themselves.
Amen to that, NYY doesn’t want him getting a ring for sitting out all year on a preventable ban. Doesn’t have the morals of a good Yankee.
No, he has the morals of a bad Yankee. Take off the Pete Rose colored glasses …
Totally agree with you,he can do baseball activities everywhere in dominican,get a partner thrower ,catcher y couple hitters to pitch against it and get ready,it is very confuse situation that he is not ready.
It doesn’t work that way. To be MLB ready you need to work with professionals chosen by the team. Again, if it worked the way you think it does then pitchers would be game ready on the first day of spring training. They also have access to generic “baseball activities” over winter but not to the team and, thus aren’t ready. Nothing confusing about it.
Sure, he can work out and keep himself in “offseason” shape, but that’s different than game-ready. Look at it this way. Pitchers seasons normally end at some point in October and then they report back to Spring Training approximately four months later in mid-February. They perform baseball activities for a couple weeks and then they participate in exhibition games for a full month to build up for the regular season. German can and likely has done the first part (staying in shape), but he can’t perform baseball activities with coaches at a major league facility and he has no way to play in exhibition games to build himself up and knock a year of rust off! They’re not going to throw him into game action in critical postseason games against hitters in top form while he attempts to work himself into game shape. Last, the abbreviated “summer camp” this year seems to have resulted in a higher number of pitcher arm injuries. I doubt the Yankees want to risk that with German, who has already had one TJS in his career. They likely rushed Luis Severino back to pitch in last year’s postseason. That didn’t end well health wise.
Exactly. If German was supposed to get himself game ready on his own why aren’t all pitchers game ready on the first day of spring training? Because there is only so much you can do on your own. The resources of the team are needed for that.
Just thinking from a baseball standpoint, how was he not able to ramp up for the season? I know he’s not a millionaire, and it is covid season, but he is still a huge part of the Yankees rotation! How did he not get a proper ramp up time?
Yeah I agree… either the Yankees literally told him they didn’t want him back this year period… or he was being an idiot and not staying in/getting in shape. Like he may not have been allowed to use team facilities etc. BUT he certainly could/should have been throwing on his own in which case you’d have to assume he would be more than sufficiently “ramped up” — I mean it’s not like he was in jail or something — he totally could have been working out on his own.
I don’t they trust that you’re game ready until you’ve been “ramped up” and evaluated by professional coaches etc. that work for the organization. I think it’s that simple.
I’m sure the mellow-drama of declaring retirement on social media may have something to do with him not playing this year.
2020 is so crazy, that I literally forgot that even happened.
Hard to feel sorry for him. Hopefully he’s learned a valuable lesson and has changed his ways.
Unlike other suspensions for domestic violence I never heard the details on this one
Slapped his wife at MLB fundraiser.
Big oof on top of an already huge oof. He can stay outta the MLB for sure.
I thought he “retired”…
He wants fans to beg him to “please don’t retire “. What a colossal jerk.
*wanted*
Uhhh… sounds like you’ve got some real mental problems between those ears, earmbrister.