YANKEE HAS VIRUS
Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman tests positive for the coronavirus, has mild symptoms.
Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Chapman “overall is doing well” but “will not be here for the foreseeable future.”
The AL East champions are scheduled to start the virus-delayed season on July 23 against the Nationals.
Chapman threw a bullpen session Tuesday, and Boone wouldn’t comment on whether the left-hander had been at Yankee Stadium since. Boone said the team had done contact tracing, and no other players or personnel would be forced to isolate because of Chapman’s positive test.
“We’re following all protocols,” Boone said. “We have not had any other positive tests. We adhere to all the contact tracing things. We feel like we’ve handled it and are handling it.”
Through the first week of monitor testing across all 30 major league camps, 17 out of 7,401 samples produced positives, a 0.2% rate far below the national average around 9%. Braves star Freddie Freeman, Royals catcher Salvador Perez, Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon and Rangers slugger Joey Gallo are among the players to miss time due to COVID-19.
The list now includes the 32-year-old Chapman, a six-time All-Star with 273 career saves, including 37 last season when he had a 2.21 ERA. Yankees are also without infielder DJ LeMahieu and right-hander Luis Cessa, who both tested positive prior to the start of preseason camp last week and are still isolating.
“It’s obviously just another reminder,” Boone said, “that we have to be vigilant as far as wearing our masks when possible, the distance, the decisions we’re making away from the field, to best we can stay out of harm’s way.”