Major League Baseball has removed Domingo German from the Restricted List, although he will not be able to pitch for the New York Yankees in the postseason.
Domingo German has been a missing piece for the New York Yankees this season. He had been suspended 81 games for violating the Major League Baseball domestic abuse policy, knocking him out of action for the entirety of the 2020 season. That suspension included the playoffs, as he would not be eligible to return.
On Tuesday, MLB made what was essentially a procedural move. They took German off of the Restricted List, although that move does not change his status for the postseason as it occurred after September 15.
Correction: Major League Baseball reinstated RHP Domingo Germán from the restricted list, not the Yankees.
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) October 6, 2020
This also does not mean that German’s suspension is over. He still has a few games left due to the shortened season, and will miss the first three games of 2021.
His removal from the Restricted List also follows a confusing offseason where German appeared to have retired. He then changed his mind the following day, citing the toll that being away from the Yankees and his teammates had taken on him over the season.
In theory, German can be a major piece for the Yankees moving forward. He had an excellent 2019 campaign prior to his suspension, with an 18-4 record to go along with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.147 WHiP, striking out 153 batters with 39 walks in 143 innings. He is also not due to hit arbitration until after the 2021 campaign, making him a relative bargain.
This also assumes that German will be back to his previous form. He will have missed approximately a year and half, so even with spring training, he may not be ready to be a solid middle of the rotation arm at the start of the year. And this also presumes that German stays out of trouble moving forward.
However, Domingo German is one step closer to returning to the New York Yankees as Major League Baseball has removed him from the Restricted List.