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The strange career of suspended Yankees right-hander Domingo German took another turn Saturday, with German reversing course and insisting he isn’t retiring from baseball. “Baseball is my life and I promise I am not walking away,’’ German posted on Instagram on Saturday, a day after the 27-year-old strongly hinted his career was over. On Friday, …
The strange career of suspended Yankees right-hander Domingo German took another turn Saturday, with German reversing course and insisting he isn’t retiring from baseball.
“Baseball is my life and I promise I am not walking away,’’ German posted on Instagram on Saturday, a day after the 27-year-old strongly hinted his career was over.
On Friday, German — who is serving the remaining 63 games of the suspension he incurred last year for violating the league’s domestic violence protocol — wrote a post on Instagram in Spanish that translated to: “I left baseball. Thanks my people.”
It followed an earlier post that also led to speculation about German’s future.
But on Saturday, German insisted he is still committed to the game and blamed his retirement posts on a lapse of judgement. He deleted both posts late Friday night.
“To my teammates, the Yankees organization and our fans, I am very sorry for the unsettling post [Friday] night,’’ German wrote. “This past year has been very tough for my family and myself, for which I take full responsibility. Not being with my teammates while they get ready for the season, knowing that I have let them down, has taken a toll on me and [Friday] night I let my emotions get the best of me.”
Before Saturday’s exhibition game against the Mets at Citi Field, Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t have much to offer on German’s situation.
“It’s very unclear,’’ Boone said. “Obviously I have seen the Instagram stuff, but I don’t have much more clarity. I know there hasn’t been much between the club and him about what exactly is going on.’’
Though the 2020 season has just 60 games scheduled, the league previously said German would be eligible to play at the beginning of 2021 because he also sat out last year’s playoffs.
German was 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA over 143 innings last year before his season ended in September following the incident. He agreed to an 81-game suspension that included 18 games served last fall. Had this season progressed normally, the right-hander would have been eligible to return to game action on June 5.
“I am using this time to get stronger, become a better person and father and I can only hope that I will get to join my teammates once again to make them proud,’’ German wrote Saturday. “Please forgive me for this mistake.”
