Use caution & take care of minor-leaguers who have virus

Connecticut to be with his family — including four children home from school indefinitely because of the pandemic. On Wednesday, after players were informed of the second case, about a dozen major leaguers showed up at the complex to work out. That included hitters Giancarlo Stanton, Clint Frazier, Tyler

Wade and DJ LeMahieu who worked with Thames.

The hitting coach said they are being mindful of keeping themselves distanced and they are all wearing latex gloves when they work together.

“I mean I have to wear gloves. Like, it's weird. I have to wear latex gloves and batting gloves,” Thames said. “Just trying to stay safe, trying to listen to the health people and make sure we're doing the right thing.”

The Yankees are trying to walk a fine line in doing the right thing with players looking to continue offseason-like workouts with the start of the MLB season so uncertain while also maintaining responsible social distancing.

Meanwhile the thrust of the organization's focus for the last six days is the minor league players and staff.

GM Brian Cashman said Tuesday he is remaining in Tampa indefinitely to deal with the minor leaguers and the coronavirus issues. He has declined comment on the cases since the initial reports on Sunday.

The team is providing three meals a day in coolers with water to the minor league players who are now self quarantined. They are taking care of their housing and also providing what has been called “a significant” per diem as well. That quarantine is set to expire on March 25 and the minor league facility will reopen.

The second player who tested positive was diagnosed on Sunday evening and was not residing with the first patient. That reset the clock on the quarantine only for players and people who have come in contact with him. Specifically, the second patient and his roommate at this point will be quarantined 14 days from his diagnosis. That patient was part of an organizational conference call on Sunday evening, which also included Cashman and Dr. Douglas Holt from the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough

County. The player reassured teammates on that call that he was not feeling ill and the symptoms that had initiated the testing, a fever and fatigue, had dissipated.

The Yankees have been very clear that they are taking their direction from the health officials in Hillsborough County since the first positive test on Saturday night. That included quarantining the players and player development staff who have been over at the minor-league complex, cleaning the facility, tracking where the initial patient had been during the time he was contagious. The department is also asking the Yankees to do check-ins on their minor league players several times a day while in quarantine. That was what sparked the second test, which was determined necessary by the doctors at Tampa General Hospital in conjunction with the department of health officials. The Yankees are adamant that they are following the same procedures for testing as any citizen in the county.

The FDH did not return messages for comment on the cases involving the Yankees. There are 314 patients in Florida who have tested positive for the coronavirus, 13 in Hillsborough County.