Plans change in baseball because of health issues

PHOENIX » A small group of players, including Nationals slugger Ryan Zimmerman and Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake, have announced they won’t be playing during Major League Baseball’s upcoming 60game season. The Minnesota Twins have shuffled their on-field staff to protect the health of some of their older coaches.

As the sport lurches toward a late July start during the coronavirus crises, it’s clear that roster flexibility and organizational depth will be key.

Zimmerman, who told The Associated Press last week he was still deciding whether to play this year, ultimately said having three young children, including a newborn, and a mother at higher risk because of multiple sclerosis factored into his decision.

“Given the unusual nature of the season, this is the best decision for me and my family,” Zimmerman said.

The 35-year-old, who has been with the Nationals since 2005, said this does not mean he’s retiring. He’s still deciding on his future beyond this season. The twotime All-Star and 2009 Gold Glove winner has 270 career homers.

The Twins confirmed Monday that bullpen coach Bob McClure and major league coach Bill Evers won’t be in the clubhouse at the start of this season because of health concerns. Both coaches are in their 60s and will stay with the organization to help in altered roles.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who was sitting in a Target Field dugout during a Zoom call, said he’s known both coaches for a long time and that the decisions were difficult. He added that both coaches were disappointed.

“I think we all know that we’re making the right decision, but that doesn’t mean it feels good,” Baldelli said. “It’s very, very challenging to even think about these sorts of things and have these conversations.”

But they’re exactly the conversations that are being had at both the organizational and personal level across the MLB landscape. The defending World Series champion Nationals will begin their title defense without Zimmerman and pitcher Joe Ross, who also declined to play because of health concerns.

“We are one hundred percent supportive of their decision to not play this year,” Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said in a statement. “We will miss their presence in the clubhouse and their contributions on the field.”

Ross, 27, has five seasons of MLB experience. He appeared in 27 games last season.

Zimmerman was due $740,741 and Ross $555,556 as prorated portions of their salaries, originally $2 million for the first baseman and $1.5 million for the pitcher. If they are deemed high risk by team physicians, they would still get paid and receive service time.

Arizona’s pitching depth took a hit even before the sport’s second training period begins later this week. The 32-year-old Leake was expected to be a part of the team’s starting rotation after starting 10 games last season and finishing with a 3-3 record and 4.35 ERA following a midseason trade with the Seattle Mariners.

D-backs general manager Mike Hazen didn’t elaborate on Leake’s decision but the pitcher’s agent issued a statement saying he made a personal decision not to play during the pandemic. The GM also didn’t say whether Leake falls under the high-risk category. If he does, he’ll be due $5,555,556 as the prorated share of his $15 million salary.

The fragility of baseball’s current health situation has been apparent for the past few weeks. The Philadelphia Phillies had a coronavirus outbreak at their spring training facility in Clearwater, Florida, earlier this month. Seven players and five staff members tested positive in the organization.

Phillies GM Matt Klentak said the team was “fortunate that none of the cases, player or staff, have been especially serious.” He said no one has been hospitalized.