The Yankees signed Michael King to the big league roster Thursday to replace Domingo German, who was placed on administrative leave by MLB pending an investigation into an alleged domestic violence incident.
The Yankees said in a statement about German they “fully support all measures being undertaken by the Commissioner’s Office pursuant to the Policy on Domestic Violence.”
The 24-year-old King skyrocketed through the Yankees farm system last season, and likely would have been in The Bronx earlier had it not been for right elbow discomfort in February that derailed most of his 2019 season. King is eligible to pitch in the postseason.
King has an above-average ground-ball rate, a tendency the Yankees like their hurlers to have. He went 3-1 with a 4.18 ERA in four starts with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season following his return, and pitching coach Tommy Phelps said King was fully recovered from the elbow injury.
King was originally acquired from the Marlins along with international slot money in 2017 — when the Yankees were attempting to sign Shohei Ohtani from Japan — and was 4-0 with a 1.15 ERA in six starts in Triple-A last season.
He projects as a back-end starter, but could find himself in the Yankees bullpen (as many young pitchers do before they start full-time in the majors) this postseason.