Domingo German’s time with the Pirates could be coming to an end.
Pittsburgh designated German for assignment on Thursday, as the former Yankees pitcher has struggled in his brief stint with the team this season.
German, 32, is 0-1 with a 7.84 ERA across two starts and five relief appearances with the Pirates — the latest being a seven-run shelling — six earned — over three innings against the Cubs on Wednesday.
German’s six-year tenure with the Yankees was marred by an 81-game suspension levied by MLB in early 2020 for violating the league’s domestic violence policy, and an incident where he flipped over furniture in the team’s clubhouse last season.
“I didn’t drink anything that day,” German said later when reflecting on the incident. “I had a few drinks the night before, but I wasn’t incoherent (the next day). I knew exactly what I was doing that day of the game.”
“That was a dark day for me,” German continued. “I couldn’t control my temper.”
Despite denying that he had been drinking, German went to rehab after the incident.
“I went because the Yankees weren’t going to pay me,” he said. “I was told that I would be there for a month. My wife and family nudged me to go. They reminded me that I needed the money. My family told me, ‘You’re going to come out of here feeling better and you’re going to save your salary.’”
In a happier moment in pinstripes, German threw a perfect game last season.
German signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates this past March and debuted on their major-league roster on Aug. 9.