Domingo Germán voluntarily added to restricted list

Some things are more important than baseball.

Ahead of tonight’s contest with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees announced that starter/occasional swingman Domingo Germán has voluntarily accepted a move to the Restricted List, taking him off the active roster as he enters an alcohol treatment program. Nestor Cortes will come off the IL this weekend to take his rotation spot. Recovery programs typically require at least six weeks of direct treatment, and Brian Cashman confirmed Germán will not pitch again this season. Aside from that timetable, both the team and this site respect Germán’s decision to enter recovery in privacy.

Addiction is a public health crisis, and everyone deserves credit for standing up and asking for help. I’m thinking at the moment about CC Sabathia, who ended the 2015 season early to enter a rehab program and was able to find and maintain sobriety. This isn’t an easy decision, especially for a player who has had the ups and downs that Germán has had this season. He’s a player that will always be on the bubble of a roster, where contributions really matter. As I said above though, your health and your relationships are more important than a stat line.

Best of luck with recovery, Domingo. You can do this.