The Domingo German saga took yet another turn late Saturday night.
The Yankees pitcher clarified that he is not actually retiring, a reversal from the cryptic Instagram posts he shared on Friday that hinted he was walking away from baseball.
“I am very sorry for the unsettling post last night. This past year has been very tough for my family and myself, for which I take full responsibility,” the 27-year-old right-hander posted. “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 last night I let my emotions get the best of me. Baseball is my life and I promise I am not walking away.”
German is not with the team and will miss the entire 2020 regular season while he serves the remainder of a 63-game suspension for a domestic violence incident that occurred in September of last year.
Domingo German's retirement lasted approximately 22 hours, according to his Instagram. pic.twitter.com/1CrAqfQr89
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 18, 2020 Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that there had not been much contact between German and the team, and the post on Friday night appeared to have caught Boone off guard.
“It’s very unclear,” Boone said before Saturday’s exhibition game against the Mets. “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.”
German made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2017, pitching to a 3.14 ERA in seven appearances out of the bullpen. He had a breakout season last year, going 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 143 innings, but his season abruptly ended when the league began investigating a domestic violence incident.
German concluded in his Instagram message Saturday that he is working on being a better person and looking forward to another chance.
“I can only hope that I will get to join my teammates once again to make them proud,” he said. “Thank you to everyone, especially the Yankees organization, for their support. Please forgive me for this mistake.”
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