TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees‘ starting rotation appeared to fall into place when Deivi Garcia was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday following a poor spring training.
New York’s decision left Domingo German as the likely fifth starter behind Gerrit Cole, Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon and Jordan Montgomery. Germán missed last season while serving a suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.
Luis Severino is expected back in June or July following his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery.
The 21-year-old Garcia was 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA over 14 innings in five spring training outings. He allowed four runs, seven hits and two walks in three innings against Toronto on Wednesday.
“Probably not just as much as life with all his pitches in the zone. Hung some breaking balls that got put in play hard,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday night. “Not that crisp finish that we’ve seen, where that bite on the breaking ball or locating it properly.”
Germán pitched nine scoreless innings over five appearances, allowing five hits, striking out 13 and walking one.
He was 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA for the Yankees when MLB put him on administrative leave in September 2019 while investigating an alleged domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend, with whom he has at least one child.
Germán missed the final nine games of the regular season and all nine of New York’s playoff games. On Jan. 2, 2020, he was suspended for 63 games – he was out for the entire pandemic-shortened 2020 season and playoffs.