Yanks’ German gets 10-game ban for sticky hand

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 will begin serving the suspension starting with Wednesday’s game. He cannot be replaced on the roster and the Yankees would be forced to play with 25 men instead of 26.

The right-hander was ejected in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays for having his hand coated with something tackier than rosin, umpire James Hoye said.

“The instant I looked at his hand, it was extremely shiny and extremely sticky,” Hoye told a pool reporter 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.

“It was definitely just the rosin bag,” German said through an interpreter. “It was sweat and the rosin bag. I don’t need any extra help to grab the baseball.”

The suspension and fine was announced by MLB Senior Vice President Michael Hill.

German’s ejection 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 German during an April 15 start against Minnesota but allowed him to stay in that game. Hoye had asked German to wash rosin off his hand and some had remained on the pitcher’s pinkie finger.

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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