Freeman has virus; Price says he’s sitting
On the same day it was announced Freddie Freeman tested positive for covid-19, David Price announced he wouldn’t play this season.
As teams prepared to start their pandemic-shortened season, sobering examples of the game’s potential danger took place at camps across the country on the Fourth of July.
Major League Baseball is getting ready for a 60game season that won’t include Price, a former Cy Young Award winner who was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February.
“After considerable thought and discussion with my family and the Dodgers, I have decided it is in the best interest of my health and my family’s health for me to not play this season,” the five-time All-Star tweeted Saturday. “I will miss my teammates and will be cheering for them throughout the season and on to a World Series victory. I’m sorry I won’t be playing for you this year, but look forward to representing you next year.”
Price, 34, said he was opting out about five hours after Atlanta Manager Brian Snitker announced Freeman had tested positive along with Braves pitchers Will Smith and Touki Toussaint as well as infielder Pete Kozma. Snitker said Smith and Toussaint were asymptomatic, and noted Kozma had a fever.
Freeman is “not feeling great,” Snitker said.
“It will be a while before we can get him back,” he said of the four-time All-Star first baseman.
It was uncertain whether Freeman would be ready for the start of the season, scheduled for July 23.
The New York Yankees said All-Star infielder DJ LeMahieu and pitcher Luis Cessa tested positive for covid-19 before traveling to New York and were self-isolating at home. Manager Aaron Boone said LeMahieu was asymptomatic and Cessa had mild symptoms.
Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez and Twins first baseman Miguel Sano also tested positive.
Aaron Nola’s status for the start of the season is in question when the Phillies’ No. 1 starter was placed on the injured list with covid-19, according to a source. Manager Joe Girardi said Saturday that Nola, center fielder Adam Haseley and catcher Christian Bethancourt had yet to report to summer camp but declined to explain why. All three, a source said, have been placed on the covid-19 list.
Due to concerns about medical privacy laws, MLB isn’t making a practice of disclosing which players test positive. For example, Baltimore Orioles Manager Brandon Hyde said the team doesn’t intend to reveal to the general public if anyone has tested positive. The Pittsburgh Pirates acknowledged there were positive tests within the organization but didn’t get into specifics.
In the Braves’ case, the four players who tested positive permitted Snitker to reveal their names. It’s a move he applauded.
“For me, I think it’s good in the industry and society, to know that this is a real deal,” Snitker said. “This virus is real. It’s nothing to mess with.”
Snitker said Braves first base coach Eric Young Sr. already has opted out due to covid-19 concerns.
Houston’s Dusty Baker, who at 71 is the oldest MLB manager, added that “I admire Freddie Freeman and his group for coming out saying what the problem is. And hopefully this can get through to other people, other young people.”
The news surrounding Freeman offered a reminder to players across the league that anyone is potentially susceptible. Freeman joins Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon as fourtime All-Stars who have tested positive.
“It doesn’t matter — age, race, ethnicity, religion,” Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun said. “Nobody is immune from this thing. I think there are constant reminders when you see the amount of athletes who have tested positive, the amount of big-name athletes who have tested positive and you hear some of their stories.”
San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey said he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of sitting out this season, assuming the games are actually played. The six-time AllStar isn’t yet convinced there will even be a season.
“The way I would project it is I wouldn’t be surprised by anything at this point,” Posey said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we played 60 games with no hiccup, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t play a game at all, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we played half the games. That’s just the variability of this to me.”
Texas Rangers outfielder Nick Solak said that “after getting tested, just waiting for the results, there’s a level of anxiety.” He acknowledged that anxiety might subside as the season wears on and players get more accustomed to going through the tests.