New York Yankees right-hander Domingo German was tossed before the bott
om of the fourth inning following a foreign-substance check by umpires during Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“Just a rosin bag,” German said postgame through a translator when asked about what he was using on his hands, according to YES Network. “From the last start a couple of games ago, they (the umpires) mentioned that I wasn’t using it enough on the mound. So, tonight I was using it on the mound. And that’s it.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged that German put the team in a tough spot.
“They felt it was too sticky, and they ran him,” Boone said. “Obviously, it’s not OK. … He’s been in the crosshairs a little bit, and it raised to a level where (the umpires) didn’t think it was good. Ultimately, that is Domingo’s responsibility to make sure we’re in a better position there.”
Crew chief James Hoye said German’s hand was the “stickiest I’ve ever felt,” according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
“It’s not rosin. It was not rosin. It was definitely not rosin. Because I’ve felt hands with rosin. That wasn’t rosin,” Hoye added. “It was extremely sticky. And rosin usually is kind of like a little tackiness. This was sticky, as in my fingers had a hard time coming off his palm.”
German faces an automatic 10-game suspension for the violation. The 30-year-old was spotted with a substance on his pants:
“Yea, that was chewing tobacco that I took out, and I was kind of wiping there after I was thrown out of the game,” German said.
The umpire crew working the contest is the same one that checked German multiple times during a start against the Minnesota Twins on April 15. He was asked to wash off rosin from his hands but was allowed to stay in the game. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was ejected for disputing the decision.
German’s ejection comes amid a tense series between the Yankees and Blue Jays. Aaron Judge caused a stir Monday when he looked into New York’s dugout right before hitting a home run. The reigning AL MVP said he was unhappy that Sportsnet broadcasters implied he was cheating.
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