AL MVP Abreu held out after testing positive for COVID-19

American League MVP Jose Abreu tested positive for COVID-19 and will spend a few days away from the Chicago White Sox, while Cardinals reliever Andrew Miller told a St. Louis newspaper he tested positive 10 days before reporting to camp.

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Wednesday in a statement that Abreu is “completely asymptomatic.” Hahn said testing showed the presence of COVID antibodies, and the slugger believes he had a mild case of the virus in January.

Manager Tony La Russa said Abreu will likely join the team by Monday and perhaps as soon as Friday.

Abreu helped Chicago return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The three-time All-Star hit .317 with 19 homers and a major league-leading 60 RBI sin the pandemic shortened season.

Miller, meanwhile, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the only symptom he had was losing his sense of smell for a while and that he spent a week-plus quarantined in the guest room of his house.

Yankees’ German issues an apology

Yankees pitcher Domingo German gave a public apology Wednesday for actions that led to a lengthy suspension under MLB’s domestic violence policy, a day after he spoke with New York teammates and admitted he had engaged in dangerous conduct.

German was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 19, 2019, while MLB investigated an alleged domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend, with whom he has at least one child.

German missed the final nine games of the 2019 regular season and all nine of New York’s postseason games, then on Jan. 2, 2020, was suspended for 63 games. He missed the entire pandemic-shortened 2020 season and the playoffs. He returned to the Yankees last week for the start of spring training.

Odds and ends

Twins shortstop Royce Lewis, the club’s top prospect, has a torn ACL in his right knee that will sideline him for the season. Lewis was the first pick in the 2017 amateur draft. … Two days after being designated for assignment by the Athletics, outfielder Dustin Fowler was traded to the Pirates for cash.