New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German entered an inpatient treatment facility for alcohol abuse Wednesday. The organization said that he is on the restricted list and will not pitch for the team again this season.
Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said that German will receive respect and privacy from the team as he seeks help.
“Certainly it’s a very serious issue that affects way too many people, unfortunately, and hopefully the steps that are being taken today will really benefit him for the remaining part of his life because it’s a very serious problem that you need to address head-on and these treatment places are significant steps hopefully to helping him get the tools to solve it,” Cashman said.
German made headlines last month after throwing a perfect game against the Oakland Athletics, the 24th in MLB history. Beyond that triumphant night, however, he was struggling in 2023, earning a 5-7 record and 4.56 ERA.
Alcohol use was allegedly a major aspect of German’s 2019 domestic violence scandal when he slapped his girlfriend at a social gathering with Yankees teammates. After returning home that night, his girlfriend locked herself in a room and called one of German’s teammates’ wives for assistance, claiming that he was intoxicated and belligerent.
“It just affects you as a human being,” fellow Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole said after the team’s game Wednesday night. “You care about your teammates. You care about your teammates’ families. So it’s a sad situation and you want the best for Domingo.”
Since joining the Yankees in 2017, German has shown flashes of brilliance on the mound, compiling an 18-4 record in 2019, but has also struggled with poor play and injuries. Nestor Cortes, the team’s rising star last season, will soon return from injury to replace German in the rotation.
“Domingo Germán has certainly been a part of the Yankee family and he’s dealing with a very serious issue and I certainly think we’re all going to keep him in our prayers as he takes very important but necessary steps in trying to deal with this problem,” Cashman said.
