Yankees Pitcher Domingo Germán Entering Inpatient Treatment For Alcohol Abuse

NEW YORK – The New York Yankees announced Wednesday that pitcher Domingo Germán has voluntarily sought inpatient treatment for alcohol consumption.

Germán was placed on the restricted list two days before his 31st birthday after throwing a perfect game at Oakland in late June.

“It is critical that Domingo completely focuses on addressing his health and well-being,” the Yankees stated. “We will be respectful of his privacy as he begins this process.”

According to New York general manager Brian Cashman, Germán will not pitch again this season.

“Certainly, it’s a very serious issue that affects far too many people,” Cashman said. “Hopefully, the steps that are being taken today will really benefit him for the rest 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.”

Germán is 5-7 this season with a 4.56 ERA in 19 starts and one relief appearance. According to the Yankees, he was removed from his scheduled start against Tampa Bay on Monday night, citing armpit discomfort. The right-hander then came in to pitch five scoreless innings of two-hit ball.

Germán has struggled on and off the pitch since his major debut six years ago. He was suspended for ten games in May after being removed from a game in Toronto for using an unlawful adhesive substance on the mound. Earlier in his career, he was suspended for 81 games by Major League Baseball for an alleged domestic violence incident.

The New York Yankees announced Wednesday that pitcher Domingo Germán has voluntarily sought inpatient treatment for alcohol consumption.

“I’m just worried about the person and their immediate family right now,” Cashman added. “Domingo Germán has certainly been a part of the Yankee family, and he’s dealing with a very serious issue, and I 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.”

Germán has been terrific for the Mets at times, most notably on June 28 in an 11-0 win over the Athletics, when he pitched the 24th perfect game in major league history — and the first since 2012.

He joined the ranks of Don Larsen (1956), David Wells (1998), and David Cone (1999) as Yankees to throw perfect games. Larsen’s game-winning home run against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.

Germán made history by being the Dominican Republic’s first perfect game pitcher. He described it as a memorial to his uncle, who died two days before, leaving Germán in tears in the clubhouse.

The New York Yankees announced Wednesday that pitcher Domingo Germán has voluntarily sought inpatient treatment for alcohol consumption.

Germán pitched for the Yankees in 2019 and went 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA, but he was placed on administrative leave late in the season while MLB investigated an alleged domestic abuse incident involving his girlfriend.

He missed the whole pandemic-shortened 2020 season and playoffs while serving his 81-game suspension, then met with Yankees teammates and apologized publicly during spring training when he returned to the team in February 2021.

It’s the second time in the last eight years that a Yankees starting pitcher has sought treatment for alcoholism during the season. CC Sabathia departed the organization in October 2015 to sign into a rehab facility right before New York’s AL wild-card game loss to Houston.

“It just affects you as a human being,” ace Gerrit Cole said after New York defeated Tampa Bay 7-2. “You are concerned for your teammates. You are concerned about the families of your teammates. So it’s a tragic circumstance, and you wish Domingo the best.”

SOURCE – (ap)