New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German voluntarily entered a treatment facility to treat his alcohol abuse following a clubhouse incident.
In the world of professional sports, athletes often face challenges both on and off the playing field. For Domingo German, the volatile pitcher for the Yankees, his journey has taken a significant turn as he perhaps faces his greatest challenge yet. After his second public incident involving alcohol, German has opted to seek inpatient treatment for his alcohol abuse.
The Yankees released a statement on August 2, supporting German’s decision to enter a treatment facility. “Domingo German has agreed today to voluntarily submit to inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse. He will be placed on the restricted list for the time that he is away from the club.” The Yankees continued with their statement with the hope that German can get the help he needs. “It is critical that Domingo completely focuses on addressing his health and well-being. We will respect his privacy as he begins this process.”
Amid speculation about what encouraged German to seek treatment, details have emerged highlighting some recent disturbing behavior from the pitcher.
Domingo German’s Explosive Clubhouse Incident
As reported by Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal, German was involved in explosive confrontations with Yankees’ staff and players before their August 1 matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays. “…German arrived at the ballpark and appeared intoxicated…He entered the clubhouse and argued with teammates. He flipped at least one couch while teammates and staff tried to get him to calm down.”
Adler also reported that ” [German] smashed a TV and made jokes while teammate Ron Marinaccio packed his bags for Triple-A.” While attempting to alleviate the situation, teammates reportedly placed German in a sauna in an attempt to “sweat out the alcohol.” German was then escorted into the Yankees’ team nap room by team security. He eventually left the stadium before the end of the game.
The Yankees are in a very precarious position right now. Although the team has struggled throughout the season, as of August 4th the Yankees are just 2.5 games out of the final wild card spot. With a little more than 50 games left to play, they are still well within striking distance of making a potential postseason run. Standings aside, the human element may very well impact the team in the foreseeable future. Even with his destructive behavior on August 1st, German still remains well-liked by teammates and coaches.
“He is a sweetheart of a guy. So when you see something that has now affected his livelihood and his life and you know how serious it is, it is very sad for someone that’s very talented”
– Aaron Boone on Domingo Germán pic.twitter.com/p2qVpziaVE
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 3, 2023
A Timeline Of Notable Domingo German Events
German signed a deal with the Florida Marlins as an international free agent in 2009. Five years later he was traded to the Yankees along with Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Jones in exchange for Martin Prado and David Phelps. On June 11th, 2017, German made his big league debut against the Baltimore Orioles where he threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief. In 2019, German won a career-high 18 games as a starting pitcher.
2019 was also when Domingo German’s alcohol abuse first led to significant issues. While attending a charity event hosted by CC Sabathia in September of that year, German reportedly slapped his girlfriend in front of witnesses. German was then quickly placed on administrative leave following the incident. He was ultimately suspended for 81 games for violating the league’s domestic abuse policy. German was never charged with a crime for the incident.
Another Chance For Domingo German
Second chances are not a guarantee in life. People often have to prove that they deserve not only forgiveness but a chance for redemption as well. German had taken the steps necessary to work towards both of those goals, at least publicly. After his domestic violence incident, German needed to earn back his teammate’s trust. In a February 2021 interview with NJ.com, former teammate Zack Britton shared his thoughts on German. “Sometimes you don’t get to control who your teammates are, and that’s the situation. I don’t agree with what he did. I don’t think it has any place in the game or off the field at all.”
By 2023, German entered his sixth season with the Yankees, appearing to have put all of his troubles behind him. On June 28th, German became the 24th pitcher in MLB history to throw a perfect game against the Oakland A’s.
The final out of Domingo German’s perfect game pic.twitter.com/ObaBs9NngA
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 29, 2023
German has gone from joining pitching royalty to becoming another cautionary tale in just over a month. While it remains uncertain how long Domingo German’s treatment will take, the Yankees say he will not pitch for the remainder of the season. But what’s important is that he is taking the necessary steps to address his alcohol abuse.
As he navigates through his recovery, it’s also important to note the severity of the incidents that German has been involved in. German has a history of violence and the clubhouse incident on August 1st demonstrates that he still has much to work on. It is also apparent that he failed to learn from his previous mistakes. The Yankees and the rest of Major League Baseball will have to decide if German will be worthy of a third chance. But at what point do you say enough is enough? For German, that point should have been four years ago.
Main Photo Credits: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned: Domingo Germán, Ron Marinaccio, Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Jones, Martín Prado, David Phelps, CC Sabathia, Zack Britton,
