New York Yankees right-hander Domingo German has received a ten-game ban from the MLB following his ejection Tuesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 30-year-old Dominican professional baseball star was handed the ban for violating the league's new policies on grip-enhancing substances, with the decision made by MLB on Wednesday. Crew chief James Hoye described German's hand as the "stickiest I've ever felt" while adding to media that it was "definitely not rosin."
Yankees star German, who was ejected before the start of the fourth inning, will not appeal the decision. Before his dismissal, German had incredibly retired all nine of the batters he had faced.
German did, however, push back on Hoye's stickiness claims, saying he didn't have anything on his hand other than rosin.
"It was definitely just the rosin bag," German said through an interpreter. "It was sweat and the rosin bag. I don't need any extra help to grab the baseball."
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said: "They felt it was too sticky and they ran him. Obviously, it's not OK. But also we're talking, what is the line? So it's difficult.
"And obviously, it raised to a level -- and of course, he's been in the crosshairs a bit -- but it was raised to a level that they didn't feel was good. And ultimately, that's Domingo's responsibility we're in a better position there."
It's not the first time that German has been caught up in controversy this season when it comes to substances on his hand. Against the Minnesota Twins on April 15, German was allowed to remain after being instructed to wash his hands.
Interestingly, CBS reports that three of the four umpires who worked April's Twins clash were also in charge of the Yankees' clash with the Jays. In the Twins' case, German was allowed to continue because the stickiness of his hand wasn't excessive.
German isn't the only high-profile MLB pitcher to be suspended for violating the grip-enhancer policy so far this season, with New York Mets star Max Scherzer only just returning from his ban. Like German, Scherzer was handed a ten-game suspension.
The Yankees lead the Jays 2-1 in their four-game MLB series, with the two teams to meet for a fourth time on Thursday.
The Blue Jays won the last outing 3-0. Both teams are running middle of the pack in the AL East, with Tampa Bay Rays leading the league comfortably with a 32-12 record.
