Yankees right hander Domingo Germán was ejected for using an illegal substance when the Yankees and Blue Jays played at the Rogers Centre on May 16, 2023.  Germán began to take the mound for the bottom of the fourth after three perfect innings to start the ballgame. But he was intercepted by the umpiring crew, who inspected his hands and found an illegal foreign substance. Crew chief James Hoye told a pool reporter, “The instant I looked at his hand, it was extremely shiny and extremely sticky. It’s the stickiest hand I’ve ever felt. My fingers had a hard time coming off his palm.”

Germán was promptly ejected because he violated the league’s illegal substance policy under rule 6.02 (c) (7) and was suspended 10 days. The Yankees won’t be able to replace his roster spot (as the Mets and Max Scherzer just demonstrated.)

This is the second time in about a month that Germán got in trouble for sticky stuff. Back on April 15 2023, he was checked by the Twins, and ironically the same crew that worked Tuesday night’s game,  let him stay in that game. This time, Germán was not so fortunate.

Ruleball Comments  

1. In my opinion, Germán’s actions were selfish, and he put his team in a hole.
2. I have to believe that the foreign substance rule is inconsistently applied which is why pitchers will foolishly continue to take the risk.
3. The ruling is irrecusable. The pitcher can appeal the suspension but that hasn’t happened in this situation.
4. As stated, this was not the first time Hoye and his crew confronted Germán who dodged a bullet in the Yankees 6-1 win over the Twins on April 15^th. In that game, Hoye had a lengthy conversation with Germán during an extensive hand and glove checkup in the middle of the third inning. Hoye explained after the game that Germán appeared to have excess rosin on his hands, and he asked him to clean them after the top of the third. Germán came back out in the top of the fourth inning and Hoye still noticed tackiness. But the umpires ruled that it wasn’t a foreign substance that affected the flight of the ball, which is why Germán wasn’t ejected. Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli wasn’t buying it and was banished.
5. One would think that because Germán already had a run-in with Hoye and his crew a month ago, that he would be extra careful in using a foreign substance. He certainly did not exercise good common sense.
6. Germán maintained that it was only rosin that was used. If true, he apparently will need clarity on the proper use of rosin.

Rich Marazzi

Rules consultant/analyst:  Angels, D’backs, Dodgers, Nationals, Orioles, Padres, Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, Rangers, Royals, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Yankees, Bally Sports, YES, and NBC Sports Chicago.