The major headlines recently had been focusing on New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German and his apology following an 81 game suspension due to a domestic violence case. With new details emerging that his girlfriend had to lock herself in a room to avoid the aggressive German, some even demanded that he be released from the team. Some players express their disdain for the starter, while others came to his defense.
The past few weeks have been interesting, but all German can do is work hard and show that he is a changed man. Based on everything that manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman have said, German has done the work to abolish his aggression and past actions, but he is skating on thin ice, according to Luke Voit.
However, German finally turned the page on Thursday, putting together a solid day on the mound. He faced live batters for the first time this week, and he looked solid in the 20 pitch sample size.
“He mixed his pitches and was under control,’’ the manager said of German, who hasn’t appeared in a game outside in the most recent winter league in the Dominican Republic since being suspended in September 2019 for violating MLB’s domestic violence protocols.
German participated in the Dominican Republic Winter League recently, struggling to maintain his form and get back on track. It is also fair to mention that he didn’t have Yankee coaches and fellow teammates around him to motivate him and spur his best self.
Boone was sure to mention that German impressed on Thursday, as the Yankees know what he’s capable of doing on the mound.
“It was a good day for him,’’ Boone said.
At 28 years old, German is more than a year removed from playing in his last live game. The last time he stepped on a major league mound was in 2019, when he recorded a 4.03 ERA over 143 innings. That season proved that he had a bright future, but the suspension significantly dampened the mood and his developmental progress.
Winning 18 games two years ago was a big step, but the expectation is that he could lock down the 5th spot in the starting rotation, especially if he keeps performing well in spring training. With the Yankees preparing for live-action on Sunday, expect to see German featured next week at some point.