The inevitable conclusion to Domingo Germán's ejection Tuesday was provided by MLB on Wednesday. The Yankees pitcher was suspended for 10 games for violating the league's rules on sticky substances.
Germán confirmed his suspension on social media. He said he would not appeal. The ban follows his ejection just before the start of the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday. Umpires did a spot check of the New York starter and promptly tossed him from the game.
"I discussed the appeal process with the MLBPA and my team. I learned that the appeal decision is made by MLB, not through a neutral arbitration process — so I do not believe I have a chance to win an appeal," Germán said in a statement in English and Spanish released via Twitter. "The Yankees asked that I accept the 10-game suspension so that I can begin serving it immediately and return to the mound as soon as possible."
Germán left the game after three innings pitched. He retired all nine batters he faced, with two strikeouts. Five relievers combined to throw the final six innings of an eventual 6-3 Yankees victory.
MORE: Why was Domingo German ejected?
Here's what we know about Germán's suspension:
Domingo Germán suspension details
Germán's suspension — MLB's fourth since cracking down on foreign substances two seasons ago — began Wednesday, for the third of a four-game series between the Yankees and Blue Jays. German will be eligible to return as early as Sunday, May 28, for the third of a three-game series vs. the Padres.
Curiously, three of the umpires working Tuesday's AL East game also called an April 15 game between the Yankees and Twins, in which Germán was found to have a sticky substance on his hand. The crew allowed him to stay in the game after he washed his hands, as the level of stickiness was not deemed to be excessive. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was ejected for arguing the decision.
German was not as fortunate Tuesday:
The substance on Germán's hand has yet to be identified, though he told reporters via an interpreter that it was nothing more than rosin and sweat. At the same time, he expressed regret that his suspension placed his teammates in a tough position.
“It was definitely just the rosin bag,” Germán said through a translator (via The Associated Press). “It was sweat and the rosin bag. I don’t need any extra help to grab the baseball.”
MORE: Did Blue Jays' John Schneider say 'Shut up fat boy' to Yankees?
James Hoye, the crew chief for Tuesday's game, had a different opinion. He claimed Germán's hand was "the stickiest" he had ever felt and was clearly in violation of Major League Baseball’s rules on sticky substances.
"The instant I looked at his hand, it was extremely shiny and extremely sticky," Hoye told a pool reporter after the game. "It’s the stickiest hand I’ve ever felt. My fingers had a hard time coming off his palm."
Hoye's explanation, Germán's defense and the pitcher's reasoning for not appealing his suspension were almost identical to what umpires Dan Bellino and Phil Cuzzi and Mets pitcher Max Scherzer said after Scherzer was ejected and then suspended in mid-April for a sticky substance.
MORE: Umpires contradict Max Scherzer after ejection: 'Likely more than rosin' on Mets pitcher's hand
Including Tuesday, Germán has made four starts in May, posting a 1.64 ERA while allowing nine hits and five runs (four earned) in 22 innings pitched. For the season, he has a 3.75 ERA in nine starts (48 innings pitched).
Right-hander Luis Severino will take Germán's spot in the rotation during the suspension. Per MLB.com, Severino will be activated from the injured list and make his season debut Sunday at Cincinnati.
Germán's suspension is one of several acrimonious moments during this week's series between New York and Toronto. The Blue Jays asked MLB on Tuesday to investigate whether the Yankees were cheating when Aaron Judge looked toward the New York dugout moments before hitting a home run on Monday.
In Tuesday's game, Toronto manager John Schneider and Yankees manager Aaron Boone both tried to get the umpires to move the opposing team's base coaches closer to the coaching boxes on the field.
Tensions escalated to the point Schneider was heard yelling, "Shut up, fat boy" toward a person in the Yankees' dugout. Schneider refused to identify his target, but New York media reported Wednesday that it was Yankees assistant hitting coach Brad Wilkerson.
Who knows what Thursday's series-ender will hold?