Eight Astros pitchers are placed into COVID-19 protocol.
Rotation’s depth takes yet another hit with Javier, Garcia and Abreu among those sidelined
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — After proceeding through almost two weeks of spring training with no noticeable hiccups, the Astros received a stark reminder of the realities associated with playing amid a global pandemic.
Eight pitchers are now absent from spring training workouts because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the team revealed Friday, inviting some concern about the immediate future of camp.
General manager James Click could not disclose how many of the players tested positive for COVID-19, but did not term the situation an outbreak. The club has not considered pausing activities, Click said, putting faith in the league-mandated protocols for positive tests and exposure.
“I don’t know how you define outbreak,” Click said on Friday. “Part of the reason that so many players are away from camp for health and safety (protocols) is because we want to cast a wide net, and the protocols cast a wide net to make sure if there are delays between contagious stages and positive test results, that those don’t lead to an outbreak.”
Five players across the sport tested positive for COVID-19 this week, according to a joint announcement from Major League Baseball and the players association on Friday. Since spring training intake testing began last month, the league has recorded 25 total positive tests: 19 players and six staff members. It has conducted 34,541 total tests.
Major League Baseball’s operations manual mandates a seven-day quarantine for players sidelined because of health and safety protocols.
“We are following Major League Baseball’s health and safety protocols, and this is what they call for,”
“It’s unfortunate because those are important players, important pitchers in our organization that we need to have.” Astros starting pitcher Jose Urquidy via an interpreter
Click said. “We and the league believe that, by following them, we will ensure the rest of the guys are not exposed and we can continue to get ready for the season.”
On Thursday, manager Dusty Baker announced the absence of righthanders Luis Garcia, Ronel Blanco and Bryan Abreu because of what he termed “health and safety protocols.” A day later, Baker revealed that Enoli Paredes, Francis Martes, Cristian Javier, Pedro Baez and Hector Velazquez were no longer in camp.
Asked if blame can be placed on players ignoring or disobeying the health and safety protocols, Click said “this is a result of a highly contagious virus that’s killed over half a million people in this country.”
Still, in the days since the first players were sidelined, both Baker and Click said they’ve reinforced the league’s policies on social distancing, face coverings and protocols away from the ballpark.
“It can be exhausting at times to follow all the necessary protocols, and sometimes we need to remind ourselves why we’re doing it and how important they are,” Click said. “We will continue to do that on a regular basis whether we have positive test results
and whether or not we have guys away from camp.”
Abreu, Garcia and Blanco’s seven-day hiatus ostensibly began Thursday. Baez threw a simulated game at the team’s facility on Friday while Martes and Paredes appeared in the Astros’ 14-0 Grapefruit League win against the Cardinals at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
“It’s unfortunate because those are important players, important pitchers in our organization that we need to have,” starter Jose
Urquidy said through an interpreter. “It’s unfortunate to have them be on the list of potential close contacts, but we just have to push forward. The season is coming close, hopefully they all come back negative and they can re-join us soon.”
That game featured most of the Astros’ everyday lineup for the first five innings. None were affected as of Friday morning, but Click acknowledged that protocols were continuing. Star shortstop Carlos Correa, center fielder Myles Straw
and utilityman Aledmys Diaz played in Friday’s game against the Miami Marlins after appearing on Thursday.
“We followed the safety protocols to the letter,” Click said. “Our trainers and our doctors are intimately familiar with them, and we have taken the necessary steps that we need to to keep our players safe. As additional information comes in, we may have to adjust our plan, but based on what we know right now, we are following the protocols, and the protocols are designed to keep everyone safe.”
From solely a baseball perspective, the absences arrive at an inopportune time. The status of starting pitcher Framber Valdez and his fractured left ring finger remains murky. Click and Baker both said Friday that the southpaw was receiving a second opinion and had no update on his long-term prognosis.
If Valdez is out for an extended period, the team will turn to Javier for a more prominent role in the rotation and could require both Abreu and Garcia as depth starting pitching options. Javier finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting last season. Garcia and Abreu are two of the team’s most touted pitching prospects. Paredes will be counted on as a leverage reliever in the opening day bullpen.
Now, all four are out of routine and sidelined for the foreseeable future.
“We just have to find a way to work around it and a solution,” Baker said. “We’re missing quite a few arms now. Yeah, we’re concerned, but fortunately we had more pitchers than we knew what to do with when we opened camp. This gives other guys opportunities to shine. You don’t like it, but you have to adjust to it.”