Domingo Germán scratched with armpit discomfort, then pitches in relief – The Denver Post

The Yankees’ Domingo Germán was scratched from his scheduled start Monday after experiencing armpit discomfort a day earlier, but in a surprise move, he ended up pitching in the game anyway.

Germán entered in the fifth inning against the Rays in relief of Jhony Brito, who had been called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make the spot start at Yankee Stadium. Germán tossed the final five innings, throwing 72 pitches and not allowing a run in the Yankees’ 5-1 loss.

The discomfort prevented Germán from playing catch on Sunday, manager Aaron Boone said.

“He felt better by the end of [Sunday],” Boone said before Monday’s game. “He feels good today, but we just didn’t feel like we could risk sending him out there, and then if we have to pull the plug in the first inning or something, it would put us in a tough situation.”

Germán didn’t experience any discomfort during his previous outing — when he surrendered six runs in a loss to the Mets last Tuesday — or in his subsequent bullpen session, Boone said. The right-hander was scheduled to see team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad before Monday’s game to “rule anything out,” according to the Yankees manager.

The Yankees needed 4.2 innings out of their bullpen during Sunday night’s loss to Baltimore after starter Luis Severino failed to get through four innings.

Germán, who pitched the 24th perfect game in MLB history last month, has a 4.77 ERA this season and a 5.64 mark in July.

Brito entered Monday’s game 4-4 with a 4.70 ERA in 12 outings with the Yankees this season.

“He’s been throwing pretty well this month [at Triple-A],” Boone said. “He’s done a good job with us. I feel like he’s had really competitive outings each time he’s pitched with us.”

To make room on the roster for Brito, the Yankees sent down reliever Ron Marinaccio, who threw 2.2 scoreless innings Sunday after struggling throughout July. He had surrendered eight runs over his previous seven appearances and has a 7.36 ERA this month.

Boone said Marinaccio’s demotion was the result of the Yankees needing to make a move for Brito, but said pitching at Triple-A will give the reliever an opportunity to work on his aggressiveness in the strike zone and staying on top of the running game.

“Hopefully this is something that can serve him well, too,” Boone said. “Get some quality work in, get back here and really help us.”

Marinaccio recently told the Daily News he was “searching for consistent mechanics,” an issue that may have contributed to a drop in his velocity.

“We’re trying to create as much force as we can driving down the mound,” Marinaccio said. “I feel like I’m getting stuck over the rubber at times and I don’t have much power at the end of my throw. And that probably speaks to velocity ticking down at times. It’s been up and down for me. I feel like I’ve been getting close at times. Then I’ve had outings where I haven’t felt great, too.”

JUDGE COULD PLAY ENTIRE RAYS SERIES

The Yankees continue to exercise caution with Aaron Judge, who returned to the Yankees lineup last Friday after a big toe injury cost him nearly two months.

Judge was back in the lineup as the designated hitter Monday after a scheduled day off Sunday. Boone hopes Judge can play all three games of the Rays series but will take things “day by day” with the slugger.

“We’re going nowhere if we run Aaron Judge into the ground when he hasn’t had a rehab game,” Boone said. “One of the thoughts behind not having him do a rehab assignment is we can do that and get the benefits of having him in the lineup for a couple days like we were able to in Baltimore.”

Judge walked three times during his return Friday, then went 3-for-5 with a home run in Saturday’s win against the Orioles.

RAYS RETOOL

An AL East division rival got stronger Monday, with the Rays trading for red-hot Guardians pitcher Aaron Civale on Monday.

The 28-year-old Civale, who is 5-2 with a 2.34 ERA this season, didn’t allow more than two runs in any of his six starts in July. He helps bolster a Rays rotation that lost Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs for the year.

Tampa Bay traded Triple-A first baseman Kyle Manzardo, whom MLB Pipeline ranks as the No. 37 prospect in baseball.

The Rays, who are second in the AL East and hold the top AL Wild Card spot, entered Monday 7.5 games ahead of the Yankees.

CANDELARIO, CAHNA ALSO TRADED

Monday also saw the Nationals trade third baseman Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs, while the Mets sent outfielder Mark Canha to the Brewers, the teams announced.

The switch-hitting Candelario had been linked to the Yankees as a possible trade target, given that he would have filled a position of need and diversified a largely right-handed lineup. The Yankees recently moved third baseman Josh Donaldson to the 60-day injured list with a calf strain.

The New York City-born Candelario has 16 home runs and 53 RBI this season.

Canha, meanwhile, could’ve helped the Yankees’ issues in left field, where he has played 51 games this season, though acquiring him would have required a rare trade with the crosstown Mets.

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