Yankees’ Cordero suspended for rest of season

New York Yankees reliever Jimmy Cordero was suspended for the remainder of the 2023 season for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.

Cordero, 31, had emerged as a vital part of the Yankees’ bullpen after not pitching in the majors since 2020. Over 31 appearances, he struck out 34 and walked 10 in 32.2 innings with a 3.86 ERA and limited hitters to a .208 batting average and .317 slugging percentage, both well below league-average.

New York’s relief corps has allowed the team to remain relevant amid an offensive slump since Aaron Judge hit the injured list June 7 with a torn ligament in his right big toe. Yankees relievers have a 2.82 ERA, the best in the major leagues, and have allowed the fewest home runs while generating the highest groundball rate.

With a fastball that sits above 97 mph and a slider to complement it, Cordero, who spent past seasons with the Nationals, Blue Jays and White Sox, emerged as a viable middle-innings reliever for manager Aaron Boone, not allowing a run in 23 appearances.

The league’s policy, negotiated with the MLB Players Association, does not mandate suspensions of a particular length. Cordero’s 76-game suspension, which he agreed to, is among the longest the league has given.

In a statement, the team said: “The Yankees are fully supportive of Major League Baseball’s investigative process and the disciplinary action applied to Jimmy Cordero. There is no justification for domestic violence, and we stand with the objectives, standards and enforcement of MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.”