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Multiple Marlins Players Reportedly Test Positive For COVID-19

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12:30pm: First baseman Garrett Cooper and outfielder Harold Ramirez are also among the Marlins who have tested positive, according to Robert Murray and Jon Heyman of MLB Network. And since these results were discovered on the road, the Marlins find themselves in an unfortunate position; Cooper and the other players will have to quarantine in their Philadelphia hotel for about two weeks and, for the time being, are unable to travel back to Miami with the rest of their team. From a purely baseball perspective, the news represents a considerable blow to the Marlins’ depth: Between Alfaro, Cooper, and Ramirez, they’re losing three regulars, not to mention a key piece of the rotation in Ureña.

11:32 am: “Multiple” Miami players are dealing with COVID-19 issues, tweets Craig Mish of Sportsgrid. Heyman hears the same, tweeting that two of the club’s starting position players have also tested positive for the coronavirus. Catcher Jorge Alfaro was placed on the injured list for an undisclosed reason Friday, although it remains unclear if he is among those who have tested positive.

11:08 am: Marlins right-hander José Ureña was scratched from today’s scheduled start, as noted by various reporters (including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald). Ureña tested positive for COIVD-19, tweets Jon Heyman of the MLB Network. Fortunately, Ureña “feels fine,” Heyman adds, but this is simply the latest reminder of the threat the coronavirus continues to pose to players and teams leaguewide.

Even if Ureña remains asymptomatic, he’ll need to twice test negative at least 24 hours apart before he’s permitted to return to the club. Miami has not yet made any roster moves related to the situation, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. With there being no minimum length for stints on the COVID-19 injured list, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Miami decide to place Ureña on the IL, even if they believe he’ll be ready to return in short order.

Ureña is ticketed for a return to the Miami rotation after splitting last year between the starting staff and the bullpen. Right-hander Robert Dugger, who started seven games for Miami down the stretch last season, will take the ball in Ureña’s stead this afternoon against the Phillies.

Eduardo Rodriguez Dealing With Heart Issue Related To COVID Diagnosis

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The COVID-related health problem that led the Red Sox to shut Eduardo Rodriguez down for a week is related to his heart, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports.  “There seems to be a strong possibility” that Rodriguez is suffering from the inflammation of the heart muscle known as myocarditis, which has been observed in multiple patients recovering from COVID-19.

Rodriguez tested positive for the coronavirus prior to the start of Boston’s summer camp and had a rough time dealing with symptoms, as he told reporters.  However, he was cleared to join his teammates on July 17 and seemed to be on track to miss relatively little time at the start of the season prior to the setback.

Any heart problem is naturally cause for concern, and while the specifics of Rodriguez’s setback weren’t known earlier in the week, Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said at the time that the left-hander’s “minor complications” were enough for the club to take it as cautiously as possible with Rodriguez.  Roenicke did said that he expected E-Rod to pitch at some point in the 2020 season and that “we’re really hopeful that this is going to clear up in a short time.”

Such a scenario would obviously be great news both for Rodriguez’s health and for the thin Red Sox pitching staff, which could sorely use the lefty back atop the rotation.  2019 saw Rodriguez enjoy the finest of his five MLB seasons, as he finished sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting and posted a 3.81 ERA, 2.84 K/BB rate, and 9.4 K/9 over 203 1/3 innings.

Austin Meadows Cleared For Workouts

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Rays outfielder Austin Meadows has been cleared to resume training and is currently working out at the Rays’ minor league camp, manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters.  Meadows was placed on the injured list nine days ago due to a positive COVID-19 test and said he suffered some mild symptoms of the virus, though he has now passed league protocols that include a lack of symptoms and negative tests on consecutive days.

Meadows only worked out briefly at the start of the Rays’ Summer Camp, and Cash said he doesn’t know it will take the outfielder to get back up to speed following his weeks away from training.  Topkin speculated that Meadows could potentially join the Rays on Wednesday for the start of a road trip, though that is likely the best-case scenario.

Meadows’ first full season in Tampa Bay was an unqualified success, as he hit .291/.364/.558 with 33 homers over 591 PA to help the Rays reach the postseason.  The 25-year-old has gone from being a touted prospect in the Pirates’ farm system to one of the sport’s brightest young stars, and a huge cornerstone of a Rays team that is hoping to be in the World Series conversation as soon as this October.

Gregory Polanco Cleared To Resume Workouts With Pirates

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After news broke last week that Gregory Polanco had tested positive for the coronavirus, Pirates manager Derek Shelton told reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam Berry) that the outfielder had been cleared to resume training with the club.  According to Polanco’s personal Instagram page, he has already working out at PNC Park in preparation for his 2020 debut.

No specific timeline was given for when Polanco might return, after missing roughly two weeks of training and on-field action.  “As soon as we feel or deem his body is ready to come back, then he will be able to come back, assessment-wise,” Shelton said.  “We’re going to make sure that he’s in a position where his body is deemed healthy.”

2018 seemed like a breakout campaign for the outfielder, though the shoulder surgery that Polanco underwent late that season ended up being a lingering problem throughout 2019.  Polanco played in only 42 games and hit a lackluster .242/.301/.425 over 167 plate appearances.

Assuming he can come back with a healthy shoulder and in anything close to his 2018 form, Polanco will provide a big boost to Pittsburgh’s outfield.  Polanco is slated to eventually take over in right field, with he and Bryan Reynolds flanking the center field platoon of Jarrod Dyson and Guillermo Heredia.

Reds Place Matt Davidson On COVID-19 Injured List

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Prior to today’s game, the Reds placed infielder Matt Davidson on the ten-day COVID-19 injured list after Davidson tested positive for the virus.  Aristides Aquino and right-hander Tejay Antone were called up from Cincinnati’s minor league training site to fill the roster spots left by Davidson and by catcher Tucker Barnhart, who went on the paternity list.

Davidson was in the starting lineup for Friday’s 7-1 Cincinnati victory over Detroit, so in the wake of this positive test, surely there must be some concern within the Reds clubhouse about whether others could have been infected.  As noted by Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds haven’t had any coronavirus cases since prior to the opening of Summer Camp, when two players tested positive during the initial round of intake testing.

Davidson signed a minors contract with the Reds over the offseason, and Friday’s game marked his first bit of Major League action since the 2018 season.  While Davidson slugged 46 homers over 939 PA for the White Sox in 2017-18, he wasn’t a productive offensive player overall, with a .224/.291/.435 slash line.  Davidson has also dabbled with pitching, though the Reds seems to be focusing on him as a position player only.

Aquino was the talk of baseball last summer after he slugged 15 homers and posted a 1.129 OPS over his first 124 plate appearances, though he quickly cooled off after that incredible start.  He’ll now get another chance at playing time, and could be aided by the existence of a DH spot rather than having to fight for space in a crowded Reds outfield.

Antone was a fifth-round pick for the Reds in the 2014 draft, and he’ll head to the big leagues after posting a 3.74 ERA, 2.80 K/BB rate, and 6.8 K/9 over 611 1/3 career minor league innings.  A grounder specialist, Antone is ranked 20th on MLB Pipeline’s list of the top prospects in Cincinnati’s farm system.

Hunter Dozier Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Royals outfielder Hunter Dozier will open the season on the coronavirus-specific injured list. The club announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

This is obviously quite disappointing (and rather worrisome) news to receive, particularly on the eve of Opening Day. Dozier will be sidelined until he’s able to clear the virus from his system and register two positive tests. He says he is experiencing some symptoms. Hopefully, he’s able to make a swift and full recovery.

It’s concerning also that Dozier has been active with his teammates this week. He has obviously been isolated since receiving the test results, but it’s hypothetically possible he could’ve transmitted the virus to others in the organization before that time. It isn’t yet known if any other personnel came into such close contact with Dozier that isolation will be required.

Dozier, who’ll soon turn 29, entered 2020 hoping to build on a breakout effort last year. The first-round pick finally made good on his original promise, turning in a .279/.348/.522 batting line with 26 home runs and a league-leading ten triples over 586 plate appearances. While he benefited from a lofty .339 BABIP, Dozier backed it up with excellent exit velocity and sprint speed.

The news will dent Dozier’s earning abilities after the season, when he’ll qualify for arbitration for the first time. And it’ll hurt the Royals’ hopes for a surprise run in 2020. The added opportunity will open the door for a variety of other players for at least a few weeks. The newly acquired Franchy Cordero should be in line for significant action, with players such as Bubba Starling and Brett Phillips perhaps also seeing increased chances.

Health Notes: E. Rodriguez, Teheran, Brewers, Rox, Rangers, Nats

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Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez tested positive for the coronavirus July 7, but he returned to the club over the weekend and detailed his serious bout with the illness. Rodriguez told Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe he has never been sicker, saying he felt “100 years old” and was concerned he wouldn’t “make it to the season.” Fortunately, Boston’s No. 1 starter will pitch this year, though it’s going to take time for him to ramp up before he makes his 2020 debut. Rodriguez took an encouraging step Saturday when he came out of a 25-pitch bullpen session feeling fine.

  • Like Rodriguez, Angels righty Julio Teheran will miss the start of the season because of a positive COVID-19 test. Teheran began feeling sick in late June, but he explained (via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) that he was more concerned about the illness affecting those around him. Teheran’s parents are at high risk of catching the virus, and two other members of his family – his wife and 4-year-old son – as well as their nanny tested positive. Teheran’s wife and son were asymptomatic, but he and the family nanny were not. All of them seem to be doing OK now, luckily. Teheran’s Angels debut will be delayed, but the former Brave informed DiGiovanna he’s only “about a week behind.”
  • Brewers slugger Ryan Braun is dealing with “nagging” back, oblique and neck issues, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays (Twitter links). It’s unclear whether those problems will jeopardize his Opening Day chances, but it’s worth noting that they have prevented Braun from playing in Summer Camp. Meanwhile, teammate and southpaw Eric Lauer will miss the start of the season “by a little bit,” manager Craig Counsell revealed. Lauer is behind schedule because he was exposed to someone with the coronavirus, but he is healthy. The 25-year-old was a key offseason pickup for Milwaukee, which landed him in a four-player trade with San Diego. Lauer tossed 149 2/3 innings of 4.45 ERA/4.23 FIP ball with 8.3 K/9 and 3.07 BB/9 a season ago.
  • It’s in question whether Rockies right-hander Scott Oberg will be available when their season starts Friday, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Oberg has battled a back strain, but he threw his first intrasquad game Sunday and indicated afterward he has made progress in the past week. Manager Bud Black is also encouraged, though he expects a decision on Oberg to “go down to the wire.” Considering Wade Davis’ recent struggles, Oberg looks like unquestionably the Rockies’ best reliever. The 30-year-old put up his second straight impressive season in 2019, logging a 2.25 ERA/3.54 FIP with 9.32 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 56 innings.
  • Rangers left-hander Brett Martin has been cleared for Summer Camp following a positive COVID test.  Manager Chris Woodward told MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan and other media members Sunday that Martin will still begin the season on the injured list since “he’s not there yet. So we’re going to keep monitoring him, have him throw bullpens and maybe some live [batting practices] to get him ready.”  Martin posted a 4.76 ERA, 3.44 K/BB rate, 53.8% grounder rate, and 8.95 K/9 over 62 1/3 innings in 2019, his debut season in the big leagues.
  • Right-handed pitching prospect Wil Crowe is at the Nationals’ minor league training camp after being in COVID quarantine for several weeks, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reports (Twitter link).  The Nats’ second-round pick in the 2017 draft, Crowe is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the fourth-best prospect in Washington’s farm system.  Crowe has a 4.03 ERA, 2.41 K/BB rate, and 7.5 K/9 over 290 minor league innings, and while reached Triple-A last season, his 6.17 ERA over 54 Triple-A innings indicates that he might yet need some more seasoning before receiving a Major League promotion.  The Nationals did include Crowe on their initial 60-man player pool at the start of Summer Camp.

Ke’Bryan Hayes Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Star prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes hasn’t participated in the Pirates’ camp, and manager Derek Shelton revealed today (with Hayes’ permission) that the 23-year-old has tested positive for the coronavirus.  Shelton told MLB.com’s Adam Berry and other reporters that Hayes was still in quarantine, though gave no hint as to when Hayes could be ready to participate.  Since Hayes never arrived at camp, it can be assumed that he tested positive during the initial round of intake tests.

Hayes is seen as both Pittsburgh’s top position player prospect and one of the more intriguing minor leaguers in the sport, featuring highly on top-100 prospect lists.  Prior to the 2020 season, Fangraphs was the most bullish on Hayes with a #30 ranking, while Baseball Prospectus’ 63rd-place ranking was the third baseman’s lowest showing.  Picked 32nd overall in the 2015 draft, Hayes has already drawn raves for his fielding ability at third base, while his bat has shown promise (.279/.354/.399 over 1991 minor league plate appearances) but was still something of a work in progress.

Hayes was seen as a lock to debut sometime in 2020, and presumably could still be in line for some playing time at the MLB level should he recover relatively soon.  Depending on how long Hayes is out and how long it would take him to prepare in a training camp scenario, however, the Pirates could decide to hold off on starting his service time clock until the 2021 season.  Beyond the contractual control logistics, the Bucs also naturally want to be as safe as possible with their star youngster, and bring him along in a way that doesn’t impede his development.

Collin McHugh Opts Out Of 2020 Season

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Red Sox right-hander Collin McHugh has announced his intention to opt out of the 2020 season, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Per Browne, McHugh said that his arm hasn’t recovered as well as he’d hoped after an elbow procedure in December.

As such, McHugh expected to spend a portion of the season on the injured list, and manager Ron Roenicke relayed (video courtesy of Rob Bradford of WEEI) that McHugh felt it best to spend that time at home with family during the pandemic. McHugh will be removed from the Boston 60-man player pool and 40-man roster.

The 33-year-old appeared to be making progress towards a return to action, but that progress seems to have stagnated recently, preventing McHugh from throwing live batting practice and ramping up into intrasquad game action.

McHugh signed on with the Red Sox in March, agreeing to an incentive-laden contract that only guaranteed him $650K for the season, but that would have allowed him to earn up to $3.625MM based on innings pitched and time spent on the active roster.

Interestingly, as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe notes, McHugh already received the entirety of his guaranteed salary for the season through the preseason advance; by opting out the season, he is forfeiting only pay from those incentives, which were far-fetched given the injury.

With McHugh choosing to sit this season out, he’ll once again enter free agency in the coming winter, hopefully at full health and ready to contribute to a Major League club. Interested teams won’t have data and footage from 2020 to rely on, and they’ll have to weigh whether to deploy McHugh as a starter or reliever. Speculatively, a contract similar to the one he signed last winter sounds feasible.

McHugh has spent the last six years of his career with the Astros, toggling between a role in the bullpen and in the starting rotation. He has succeeded in both roles in the past, though last year he faltered as a starter, shifting to relief before injury prevented him from playing in the last third of the season. He posted a mediocre 4.70 ERA in 35 games—8 starts. 2018, on the other hand, was McHugh’s best as a pro, as he excelled in a full-time relief role, notching a 1.99 ERA while striking out 94 batters in 72 1/3 innings of work.

From a baseball perspective, the loss of McHugh will no doubt make a dent in the depth of the Boston pitching staff, which was already looking thin. Nathan Eovaldi will start on Opening Day, but beyond him, there are a bunch of question marks. Free agent signing Martin Perez is probably next in line, with Ryan Weber, Brian Johnson, and Matt Hall all in the mix. Eduardo Rodriguez, back in Red Sox camp after contracting the coronavirus, will hopefully join the rotation in short order, and Zack Godley might find himself thrust into a bigger role.

McHugh is one of many players who have chosen to spend this season on the sidelines amidst the pandemic, joining the likes of David Price, Buster Posey, Ryan Zimmerman, among others. An ongoing list of players opting out can be found here.

Health Notes: Mallex, Chirinos, Lourdes, Lowrie, Smith

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Some health updates from around the league with the regular season just four days away:

  • Mariners center fielder Mallex Smith made his Summer Camp debut Saturday, notes Greg Johns of MLB.com. The speedster had not been previously been available for undisclosed reasons. Nevertheless, manager Scott Servais says he’s “pretty confident” Smith will be ready to go for the season opener, per Johns. This could be something of a make-or-break year for Smith, who fell flat in his first season in Seattle. He figures to take the bulk of the center field playing time, presumably flanked most days by Kyle Lewis and Jake Fraley.
  • Rays right-hander Yonny Chirinos made his first Summer Camp appearance today, per various reporters (including Juan Toribio of MLB.com). Chirinos confirmed he’d tested positive for COVID-19 last month, experiencing mild symptoms, adds Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Fortunately, he’s now feeling better, and apparently cleared all MLB protocols for a return. The 24-year-old expressed an expectation he’ll be ready for Opening Day (via Toribio). Given the lack of ramp-up time, Chirinos’ innings will certainly be closely monitored in the early going. Nevertheless, it’s encouraging the 26-year-old is healthy again and in the process of getting back up to speed.
  • Blue Jays left fielder Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. was held out of activities yesterday with left side discomfort, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet was among those to relay. It doesn’t seem there’s huge cause for concern at the moment, but even a brief absence would threaten his availability for Opening Day. Gurriel repeating his strong 2019 effort (.277/.327/.541 with 20 home runs in 343 plate appearances) would go a long way if the Jays are to make a surprising push for the postseason in the shortened campaign.
  • Mets infielder Jed Lowrie continues to be plagued by left leg issues, notes Tim Healey of Newsday. He won’t participate in today’s Summer Camp matchup with the Yankees. As Mike Puma of the New York Post points out, that doesn’t bode particularly well for Lowrie’s chances of being ready for Opening Day. It’s the latest setback for the well-respected veteran in a Mets’ tenure unfortunately marred by them. Injuries held Lowrie to just eight plate appearances in the first season of a two-year, $20MM deal.
  • Orioles outfielder Dwight Smith, Jr. was cleared to participate in camp Friday. The 27-year-old acknowledged that a positive COVID-19 test was the reason he’d been delayed, per Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball. Fortunately, he’s obviously now managed to clear the protocols for a return and hopes to be ready for Opening Day. Smith hit just .241/.297/.412 (83 wRC+) with 13 home runs in 392 plate appearances last season.
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