New York Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán has voluntarily entered inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse, the team announced on Wednesday. Germán will be placed on the restricted list while he focuses on his health and well-being. General manager Brian Cashman confirmed that Germán will not pitch for the Yankees again this season.
The Yankees released a statement saying, “It is critical that Domingo completely focuses on addressing his health and well-being. We will respect his privacy as he begins this process.” Cashman expressed the team’s support, stating, “Domingo Germán is certainly a member of the Yankee family and he is dealing with a very serious issue. I think we are going to keep him in our prayers as he takes very important but necessary steps in trying to deal with this problem.”
Germán, 30, has made 20 appearances on the mound this season, with 19 starts. One of his notable achievements was pitching a perfect game in an 11-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on June 28. He struck out nine batters and threw 99 pitches in the historic game, making it the 24th perfect game in MLB history and the first since 2012.
Throughout the season, Germán recorded a 4.56 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 108 2/3 innings pitched.
With Germán out for the remainder of the season, Nestor Cortes is expected to take his spot in the rotation. Cortes has been recovering from a shoulder injury but is set to return this weekend. The Yankees will likely rely on him for pitching duties, although he will have a limited pitch count as he forgoes his last rehab assignment start.
The absence of Germán also presents a dilemma for the Yankees in terms of their starting pitching depth. Luis Severino, who was struggling and was a potential candidate to be replaced, will now remain in the rotation. Severino is scheduled to pitch on Friday against the Houston Astros.
As the Yankees navigate through the final two months of the season, their starting pitching depth has become a major concern. The team will need to rely on their remaining pitchers to step up and fill the void left by Germán’s absence.