UPDATE-Yankees’ German Suspended For Violating Foreign Substance Rule

New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German has been suspended 10 games and fined by Major League Baseball for violating the rules regarding foreign substances, it was announced Wednesday.

German will not appeal and began serving the suspension on Wednesday. He cannot be replaced on the roster and the Yankees will be forced to play with 25 men instead of 26.

-ORIGINAL STORY-

Domingo German's hand was coated with something tackier than rosin, umpire James Hoye said after ejecting the New York Yankees pitcher for violating Major League Baseball's rules on sticky substances.

"The instant I looked at his hand, it was extremely shiny and extremely sticky," the crew chief told a pool reporter after the Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Tuesday night. "It's the stickiest hand I've ever felt. My fingers had a hard time coming off his palm."

German denied Hoye's accusation, saying he didn't have anything on his hand other than rosin.

German's ejection, likely to trigger a 10-game suspension, was the fourth since Major League Baseball started its crackdown on prohibited grip aids two years ago and the second this season.

Hoye's crew examined the 30-year-old right-hander during an April 15 start against Minnesota, when German retired his first 16 batters, but allowed him to stay in that game.

Boone didn't question the umpires' decision, and didn't speak out on the topic in his postgame media availability.

"The reality is we should all have a very good idea what the line is," he said. "Apparently Domingo crossed it tonight."

Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was suspended for sticky stuff on April 20, and Seattle's Héctor Santiago and Arizona's Caleb Smith were suspended in 2021.

German was replaced by Ian Hamilton, who was removed after five batters and 27 pitches because of right groin tightness.