New York Yankees right-hander Domingo German, scratched from his Monday start against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays due to discomfort around his right armpit, entered the contest in relief.

Entering with the Yankees down 5-1 after four innings, German threw five scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and two walks while striking out four.

That score held, though, and New York lost for the third time in its last four games.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said pregame of German, “He feels good today, but we didn’t feel like we could risk sending him out there. If we had to pull the plug in the first inning, it puts us in a tough situation.”

The Yankees recalled Jhony Brito from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start the game, and the right-hander yielded five runs on six hits in four innings. He struck out four without issuing a walk.

New York optioned right-handed reliever Ron Marinaccio to Triple-A in a corresponding roster move.

German, 30, is 5-7 with a 4.56 ERA over 20 appearances (19 starts) this season. He is 0-2 with a 4.61 ERA in five appearances (four starts) since throwing a perfect game against the Oakland Athletics on June 28. In those outings, German has struck out 36 in 27 1/3 innings.

He most recently started on July 25 in a 9-3 loss to the New York Mets, when he allowed six runs on seven hits in six innings. German struck out nine but also allowed three home runs.

Brito, 25, made his major league debut earlier this season as part of the Yankees’ major league rotation while multiple starters were sidelined with injuries. In 13 appearances (12 starts), Brito is 4-5 with a 5.17 ERA. He hadn’t pitched for New York since June 27.

Marinaccio, 28, was 4-5 with two saves and a 4.08 ERA in 44 appearances out of the Yankees’ bullpen this season.

–Field Level Media