Braves’ Hamels can’t throw because of tricep tendinitis
Atlanta lefty Cole Hamel, who is returning from a sore left shoulder, was unable to throw a scheduled side session because of triceps tendinitis.
Manager Brian Snitker says Hamels says he has faced this problem before in a normal spring training.
Snitker said the good news shoulder “feels great.”
“I think we’re probably a week away from seeing where he’s actually going to be when this thing starts,” Snitker said.
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Gallo still isn’t sure if he had virus
ARLINGTON, TEXAS » Texas Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo says he doesn’t know if he actually had the coronavirus despite two positive tests, since he has never had any symptoms and also had multiple negative tests.
“I wish I had an answer,” he said Saturday, a day after he was able to join the team.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
Gallo said he planned to have a more extensive antibody test to be sure after a finger-prick test didn’t indicate that he had COVID-19 at any point.
The All-Star slugger missed the first week of the Rangers summer camp and isolated from teammates for two weeks after two positive tests that sandwiched a negative result during intake testing. He had two negative tests on his own outside of the MLB testing program, but wasn’t cleared to join the team until consecutive negative tests under the protocol.
“It was a strange process to go through. There wasn’t much anybody could have done because the test came up positive,” Gallo said. “It was weird, it was hard to get real answers on if I really had it or not . ... As of right now I am coming up negative and that’s how I am hoping to stay the rest of the season.”
Gallo’s positive results were by the saliva test, though he was negative on a swab test. He said he is “now on edge” when going through the testing and gets nervous every time he has to do a saliva test.
Céspedes says he’ll be ready
NEW YORK » Yoenis Céspedes is sure he’ll be ready to start the pandemic-delayed season with the New York Mets.
Out of the lineup for almost two years, the 34-year-old slugger said Saturday he finally is close to fully recovered from a string of injuries to his feet and legs.
“I don’t have an exact percentage on how I feel, but I feel way better than I did back in March,” Céspedes said through a translator on a video conference call.
Astros cancel practice
HOUSTON » the Astros canceled their workout after learning that a staff member could have been exposed to a person outside the organization with the coronavirus.
It’s the second time this week the Astros have wiped out a practice session because of concerns about the pandemic. Houston also scrapped its Monday workout because of delays with testing results due to the holiday weekend, as did some other teams around the majors.
Houston general manager James Click said they decided to cancel Saturday’s workout as a precaution.