Yankees RHP Domingo German Shut Down For Two Weeks

New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Domingo German has been shut down for two weeks with complications to his ulnar collateral nerve in his pitching elbow.

The news was first reported by Brendan Kuty of NJ.com:

Keep in mind that while Kuty confirmed it’s not a UCL-tear, the injury still raises quite a bit of concern over the 23-year old Domingo German.

After the Yankees acquired German as part of the Nathan Eovaldi trade in December 2014, they had some high hopes for the Dominican pitcher. Not only did he lead the entire Marlins system in ERA, but he also recorded the second-best ERA, fourth-lowest BB/9.o IP ratio and fifth-best K/9.0 IP ratio in the South Atlantic League (Single-A) in 2014.

Unfortunately he was shut down before pitching a single minor league inning in the Yankees system and missed the entire 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Earlier in the Spring, the young right-hander felt discomfort in his throwing elbow during a bullpen session and went for an MRI, which confirmed damage to the nerve rather than the ligament.

Related Story: Domingo German Injures Elbow Nerve

While nerve damage is considered positive news over ligament damage, you still have to wonder whether or not Domingo German is completely recovered from tommy john and if he’s really ready to resume throwing.

The Yankees didn’t overspend or trade away any assets for young controllable starting pitching in the off-season because of guys like Luis Severino, James Kaprielan and Domingo German who all project to be a big part of the Yankees future starting rotation.

That said, the Yankees should use these two weeks to really evaluate German’s elbow and determine whether or not he should resume throwing in mid-March. The Yankees haven’t had the greatest track record of developing starting pitching in the past, so they should tread lightly when it comes to Domingo German and his elbow, especially if he’s a key part of the future pitching staff.