Arroyo, Hernández remain on COVID-related injured list

CLEVELAND — Christian Arroyo will continue to be tested for COVID-19 after being deemed a close contact to Kiké Hernández, who tested positive for the virus Friday.

Alex Cora was uncertain how much time the two players might miss while on Major League Baseball’s COVID-related injured list. Players who test positive generally miss 10 days, but Hernández, who told reporters in April he was vaccinated, could return sooner.

“Hopefully it stays the way it is,” Cora said before Saturday’s game in Cleveland. “It’s only a close contact. Not sure how he works, when he can now leave the hotel, go to Boston, or stay. I try to stay away from all that stuff. We’ve got a game to play and we have to be ready for this one.”

Boston has had 10 players go on the COVID-19 related injured list this season. Bench coach Will Venable tested positive and was away from the team for 12 days, and first base coach Tom Goodwin had to quarantine in Toronto after being in close contact with Goodwin.

Red Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe is also away from the team, placed on the bereavement list.

“I haven’t gone into details,” Cora said. “Just respecting everything that is going on. I just stay with the personal side of it, but I haven’t asked. Probably will contact the agent and obviously see how things are going, and we’ll go from there.”

With so many maladies across the roster, the Sox considered speeding up Danny Santana’s return from a left groin strain, but Cora said the plan will be to stick with the patchwork roster until they go to Tampa on Monday.

Santana started his rehab assignment last week with one game with Triple A Worcester, and played his last three games with Double A Portland. He went 2 for 3 with a homer Friday and is set to play again Sunday.

A real downer for Indians’ Karinchak: Righthanded reliever James Karinchak, who took the loss for Cleveland on Friday, was optioned to Triple A Columbus.

Karinchak inherited a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning. He walked Christian Vázquez before Jarren Duran singled and Jonathan Araúz homered on a two-strike pitch.

Karinchak had a 2.37 ERA and held opponents to a .474 OPS through June 18. He has since had a 6.38 ERA with opponents having an .855 OPS. His downturn coincided with Major League Baseball outlawing the use of grip-enhancing “sticky stuff ” by pitchers.