Multiple Jays players left behind in Florida after another COVID-19 positive — Toronto Sun

As the Blue Jays were to begin training camp workouts in Toronto on Monday, the team was short an undisclosed number of players. Read More
Multiple Jays players left behind in Florida after another COVID-19 positive — Toronto Sun

As the Blue Jays were to begin training camp workouts in Toronto on Monday, the team was short an undisclosed number of players.

A source confirmed to The Toronto Sun that one player on the Toronto roster recently tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and as a result did not board the team charter for a light to Toronto on Sunday night

As an added precaution, the source said other players who had been in close contact with the individual who tested positive remained in Florida as well. Those players will be monitored and once they record two negative tests for the virus will make the trip on another Jays charter.

The development, first reported by ESPN’S Jeff Passan, is the second incident of COVID-19 positives for the Jays, who also had a number of players and staff shut down with the virus late last month. Jays players gathered at their spring training home in Dunedin, Fla. last week where intake testing was done for the virus. A charter from Florida transported several players, coaches and support staff here on Sunday night.

The team is under a strict quarantine protocol at the Rogers Centre after receiving approval from provincial and federal officials and health authorities to stage their training camp at their home stadium.

Under the plan, the team is staying at a hotel attached to the stadium itself and players will not be allowed to exit the building before breaking for the proposed start of the regular season on July 24th.

The Jays club policy is to not reveal the name of any who test positive for the virus unless the player agrees to allow it. Several teams across Major League Baseball have identified players who have contracted it.

It is unclear how many Jays players from the announced 60-man roster were participating in initial workouts at the downtown Toronto dome. For the first two days of camp, media has been denied access to the stadium.

Meanwhile, the Jays schedule will be revealed later today when MLB releases the itinerary for all 30 teams. The Jays have yet to receive government approval to play their 30 home games at the Rogers Centre and are keeping TD Ballpark in Dunedin as their

We’re coming home 💙

Our Summer Training Camp will be held at Rogers Centre! pic.twitter.com/OPKIjVPUl9— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 2, 2020

Washington Nationals cancel workouts after not getting COVID-19 test results back — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

General Manager Mike Rizzo said “Without accurate and timely testing it is simply not safe for us to continue with Summer Camp.”
Washington Nationals cancel workouts after not getting COVID-19 test results back — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

Overnight we learned about testing delays and, by extension, team workout delays due to what has been, quite frankly, Major League Baseball’s incompetence with respect to getting its COVID-19 testing program up to speed as camps open. That specifically impacted the Oakland Athletics, the Los Angeles Angels and, per Ken Rosenthal, two other teams. Now we know one of the other teams: the World Series champion Washington Nationals.

The Nationals have canceled today’s workouts because they have still not received the results from tests administered on Friday. General Manager Mike Rizzo released a sternly-worded statement explaining his decision to cancel today’s work:

Per MLB’s protocol, all players and staff were tested for COVID-19 on Friday, July 3. Seventy-two hours later, we have yet to receive the results of those tests. We cannot have our players and staff work at risk. Therefore, we have canceled our team workout scheduled for this morning. We will not sacrifice the health and safety of our players, staff, and their families. Without accurate and timely testing it is simply not safe for us to continue with Summer Camp. Major League Baseball needs to work quickly to resolve issues with their process and their lab. Otherwise Summer Camp and the 2020 season are at risk.

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association’s agreement to play the 2020 season was premised on all personnel from every team to undergo saliva or nasal swab test every two days from the time camps opened until the season is over. That multiple teams have already experienced lags and delays in excess of that, mere days into the beginning of the testing process, speaks very poorly for how that plan is being put into action.

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Blue Jays prepare for quick, safe preparation at Camp Quarantine — Toronto Sun

Providing there isn’t a snag in health and border issues adding another delay, the Blue Jays hope to hit the Rogers Centre field on Monday to begin preparations for the 2020 MLB season. And when pitchers take the mound and batters get behind the plate, it will end the longest drought of the team’s inactivity […]
Blue Jays prepare for quick, safe preparation at Camp Quarantine — Toronto Sun

Aces high: Jays starter Ryu ready to resume preparations for opening day start — Toronto Sun

With a rebuilt rotation anchored by ace Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Blue Jays are armed and ready to have considerably more stability on the mound in 2020 than they did this past season. Read More
Aces high: Jays starter Ryu ready to resume preparations for opening day start — Toronto Sun

Dodgers’ David Price opts out of playing in 2020 — Daily News

LOS ANGELES — David Price has become the first Dodgers player to opt out of the 2020 season. The left-hander made his announcement on Twitter on Saturday afternoon, the second day of official workouts at Dodger Stadium. “Dear Dodgers Nation,” Price posted, “After considerable thought and discussion with my family and the Dodgers, I have…
Dodgers’ David Price opts out of playing in 2020 — Daily News

Royals catcher Salvador Perez tests positive for coronavirus — KOLR – OzarksFirst.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Royals catcher Salvador Perez has tested positive for the coronavirus, the team announced on July 4. The athlete is asymptomatic and staying at his Kansas City home. He said his family is safe and he feels good. It will take consecutive negative tests for him to be allowed to play. […]
Royals catcher Salvador Perez tests positive for coronavirus — KOLR – OzarksFirst.com

Braves star Freeman, 3 others test positive for virus — nyob.news

Atlanta Braves four-time All-Star Freddie Freeman, premier reliever Will Smith and two teammates have tested positive for the coronavirus, a jarring hit to the NL East champions less than three weeks before the start of the pandemic-delayed season. ”It will be …
Braves star Freeman, 3 others test positive for virus — nyob.news

Atlanta Braves four-time All-Star Freddie Freeman, premier reliever Will Smith and two teammates have tested positive for the coronavirus, a jarring hit to the NL East champions less than three weeks before the start of the pandemic-delayed season. ”It will be a while before we can get him
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”It will be a while before we can get him back,” manager Brian Snitker said Saturday about Freeman.

Snitker said the four players, including right-hander Touki Toussaint and infielder Pete Kozma, agreed to have the team disclose their positive tests.

Snitker said Freeman had a negative intake test early in the week before having a positive test on Friday. Snitker said the first baseman has a fever and ”is not feeling great.”

Major League Baseball has scheduled the 60-game season to start on July 23. Freeman is the biggest star in the sport so far to have his positive virus test publicly announced by his team.

It is too early to know if Freeman’s status for the start of the season could be jeopardized.

Nick Markakis said. ”I hope Freddie heals up quickly. I know he’s young, healthy. I hope he heals up and gets back as quickly as possible because as you know with 60 games, one week can change things quickly.”

The 30-year-old Freeman set career highs with 38 home runs and 121 RBIs last season to help Atlanta win its second straight NL East title. He placed fourth in the NL MVP voting in 2018 after hitting .309 with 23 homers and winning a Gold Glove.

Snitker said concerns will remain even after the four players return to workouts.

”Guys have gotten it more than once,” Snitker said. ”We’re going to have to be careful all year and it’s going to be the new normal for the next three months.”

Snitker said it was important for baseball and society to know even one of the game’s biggest stars can test positive.

”It sobers everybody up that this is real,” Snitker said. ”… It shows that this is a real deal and no one is immune to it.”

MLB and the players’ association announced Friday that 31 players and seven staff members had tested positive for COVID-19, a rate of 1.2 percent. Snitker said he was surprised the numbers were not higher.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon, had been baseball’s biggest star to test positive before Freeman.

Snitker also said first base coach Eric Young Sr., 53, has opted out of for the season due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Braves began their summer workouts at Truist Park on Friday and continued Saturday with only small groups on the field together and attempts made to practice social distancing.

Mark Melancon for the closer’s role.

Snitker said Smith and Toussaint have no symptoms. He said Kozma, who is working with top minor leaguers at the team’s Triple-A Gwinnett facilty, has a fever.

Snitker said Smith ”feels great. He’s anxious to get back.”

DeMarlo Hale, who had been a special assistant with the team, will fill in for Young to coach outfielders and serve as the first base coach.

”I applaud EY,” Snitker said. ”It was a tough decision for him. He’s an old gamer and we’ll miss him dearly for what he brings inside this clubhouse and his energy and everything.”

—

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

Padres outfielder Tommy Pham tests positive for COVID-19 — Canoe

Padres outfielder Tommy Pham tested positive for the coronavirus, San Diego general manager A.J. Preller said Friday. According to Preller, Pham was asymptomatic and in quarantine. “I’ve been in contact with him every single day and he feels fine,” Preller told reporters .”.. As a staff, we’ve been following all the contact-tracing protocols and all […]
Padres outfielder Tommy Pham tests positive for COVID-19 — Canoe

Giants’ Jeff Samardzija calls out MLB owners over fan safety — Times-Standard

SAN FRANCISCO — Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija thinks he has an advantage on most of his Major League peers, and he’s looking to press it. But he’s not sure Major League Baseball’s owners will give him the opportunity. You see, Samardzija has played in front of empty stands before. And we’re not talking about a…
Giants’ Jeff Samardzija calls out MLB owners over fan safety — Times-Standard

But he’s not sure Major League Baseball’s owners will give him the opportunity.

You see, Samardzija has played in front of empty stands before. And we’re not talking about a two-bad-teams-on-a-cold-Tuesday-in-September kind of empty — no, we’re talking about 100 percent unfilled seats.

It happened back in 2015, when Samardzija started a game for the Chicago White Sox against the Orioles in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray while he was in police custody and the violent protests that followed in that city. The game was ordered to be played behind closed doors. Attendance: zero.

Of course, the current expectation is that because of the COVID-19 pandemic baseball fans won’t be allowed into the ballpark for the 60-game regular season that will start in a few weeks.

But when Samardzija was asked about his experience in 2015 and what he could carry from that into the 2020 season at the Giants’ first day of “Summer Camp” at Oracle Park Friday, the veteran righty took the opportunity to take a shot at Major League Baseball’s owners.

“I wouldn’t put the cart before the horse there,” Samardzija said. “I think there’s going to be fans in the stands. I think we’ve seen with these owners, they’re not scared of anything… They’re not scared to put anyone at risk if they get the opportunity to, especially if it makes them money.”

Samardzija might have been placing his tongue in his cheek a bit, his comment highlighted the fact that, despite the fact that the season has re-started following weeks of contentious labor negotiations, tensions between the players and owners are still high.

His prediction of fans being in the stands isn’t off-base, either. While such a scenario seems unlikely in California, Houston Astros owner Jim Crane said last month that he expects to allow fans into home games this year in an effort to counter some of the revenue losses brought on by the pandemic-shorted season.

“That’s the way it’s going to be. The owners have already said that’s what they want,” Samardzija said. “But to the fans: I just want them to be safe, too. If that means they have to watch us from home, so be it.”

As for his experience pitching in front of an empty ballpark:

“For one game of the season, I’m gonna have a huge advantage of playing in front of no fans before,” Samardzija said. “So I’m excited about that. And we’ll take full advantage of that.”

Samardzija should hope that history helps him the second time around. In that fan-free game in Baltimore, he allowed seven earned runs in five innings pitched.

Giants pitcher tests positive for COVID-19 — Times-Standard

SAN FRANCISCO — A second San Francisco Giants player has tested positive for COVID-19, manager Gabe Kapler announced Friday afternoon. Luis Madero, a 23-year-old pitcher, was tested on Tuesday for the novel coronavirus. The positive result was learned Thursday. Madero is the second known Giant with to contract COVID-19, but the first member of the…
Giants pitcher tests positive for COVID-19 — Times-Standard

MLB has 38 positive COVID tests — Canoe

A total of 31 players and seven staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 through the first wave of testing, MLB and the MLB Players Association announced Friday. Among those who tested positive is Cleveland outfielder Delino DeShields Jr., Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti announced Friday. Antonetti said DeShields granted permission for the […]
MLB has 38 positive COVID tests — Canoe

MLB has 38 positive COVID tests

ReutersMore from Reuters

Published:July 3, 2020

Updated:July 3, 2020 6:30 PM EDT

A total of 31 players and seven staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 through the first wave of testing, MLB and the MLB Players Association announced Friday.

Among those who tested positive is Cleveland outfielder Delino DeShields Jr., Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti announced Friday.

Antonetti said DeShields granted permission for the club to share and discuss his medical diagnosis. DeShields is currently under quarantine away from the club.

“Delino is doing really well,” Antonetti told reporters during a Zoom conference call. “He’s at home. He’s just waiting to get a negative test that would allow him to travel. He has very mild symptoms.

“He has to test negative twice, two negative tests spread out by at least 24 hours, before he’s allowed in our environment. He took another test recently. We are waiting those results.”

According to a joint release, 3,185 total samples were tested, making for a positivity rate of 1.2%. Of the league’s 30 teams, 19 have had at least one positive test.

It is unclear how many players and staff members in total have been tested. Each team has a 30-man roster and a 30-man taxi squad as they prepare to begin a shortened season in late July.

The league will not reveal specific players or staff members who have tested positive. Dating to March, there have been several positive tests from players and staffers across the league — many of whom remained anonymous — who have since recovered.

The number of positive tests in MLB appears relatively small compared to the NHL and NBA, who have also released data on their coronavirus testing.

On Monday, the NHL said that 26 of more than 250 total players (and 1,450 tests) had been positive over the previous three weeks, a time period featuring voluntary workouts at team facilities. The NBA said Thursday that 25 of 351 players have tested positive since June 23, along with 10 of 884 staff members.

MLB players reported this week to camps, which are taking place at their home stadiums. The league is targeting July 23 or 24 for the opening of the 60-game season, with the schedule yet to be released.

Several players have already opted out of participating, including three from the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals.

MLB Rumors: Red Sox Mentioned As Possible Landing Spot For Yasiel Puig — NESN.com

The Red Sox reportedly are interested in adding some star power to their outfield. Boston is among a handful of teams “mentioned as possibilities” to sign free agent Yasiel Puig, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported Thursday night during “MLB Tonight”. Heyman identified the San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres as other…
MLB Rumors: Red Sox Mentioned As Possible Landing Spot For Yasiel Puig — NESN.com

Category: MLB