Zach Britton made it clear this week that he is not thrilled about the New York Yankees welcoming back Domingo German after an 81-game suspension, and the veteran reliever stood by his remarks when a fan went after him on Twitter.
German did not play last season after he was suspended 81 games for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. The starting pitcher has since returned to the Yankees, and Britton was asked about that on Thursday. Britton said you “don’t get to control who your teammates are” and that he disagrees with what German did.
Zack Britton on Domingo Germán's return to the Yankees:
"Sometimes, you don't get to control who your teammates are. I don't agree with what he did, I don't think it has any place in the game or off the field at all." pic.twitter.com/BjysY4XnS6
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 18, 2021
German allegedly slapped his girlfriend during an argument in a public setting back in September 2019. Someone on Twitter told Britton he should stop worrying about German, and the left-hander did not back down.
Hah you think I don’t know the circumstances? Get a clue bud. Was asked the question BTW, gave my answer. Don’t care if you are sensitive to it. https://t.co/sIMBwkrFHY
— Zack Britton (@zbritton) February 18, 2021
The return of German has put Yankees players in an awkward spot, but Britton chose to speak honestly about the topic. You can’t fault him for that, especially given that the suspension was for domestic violence.
German, 28, went 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 2019. He hinted at retirement in a social media post last year but quickly changed his mind.
