Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that 28-year-old Yankee right hander Domingo German has been reinstated following his suspension for domestic violence.
The Dominican-born pitcher was serving an 81-game sentence under MLB’s stringent domestic violence policy. Although German was not formally charged with a crime, the policy allows the MLB commissioner to suspend a player if the allegations of violence are credible. Since there were no charges filed, descriptions of the incident itself remain sealed and undisclosable.
German was considered a staff ace by the Yankees after a tumultuous beginning to his career. Arriving in a trade with the Miami Marlins, German spent time as a minor league free agent. He slowly rose through the ranks and excelled when given a spot in the Yankee rotation. In his first major league start, he became the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out nine batters and allow zero hits in a debut performance.
Later, in 2019, he was Major League Baseball’s winningest pitcher, posting a 18-4 record with a respectable 4.03 ERA in 27 appearances. However, an opportunity to repeat his 2019 magic was cut short with his suspension in January 2020.
German raised eyebrows in July when he announced his retirement via an Instagram post, but later claimed he spoke prematurely and was overcome with emotion.
The current policy prohibiting domestic violence was put into place by Commissioner Rob Manfred in August 2015. So far, a total of 12 players have served suspensions, and German’s suspension is among the longest.
Even though German has proven to be a quality ballplayer, manager Aaron Boone announced that he will not be a participant in the Yankees’ postseason due to prolonged rust. “He hasn’t gotten to work out with us or throw with us,” Boone said.
