COVID ISSUES HAVE CUBS SCRAMBLING
With the team facing a COVID-19 scare, Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday night after the right-hander indicated he wasn’t feeling well.
The Cubs didn’t provide specifics about Hendricks’ health, saying only the move was made from “an abundance of caution.”
Four Cubs were added to the COVID-19 injured list over the last two days.
Cubs manager David Ross said before Tuesday’s game with the Milwaukee Brewers that none of his players has tested positive for the coronavirus. Infielder Matt Duffy went on the virus-related injured list Tuesday, one day after the Cubs put relievers Brandon Workman, Jason Adam and Dan Winkler on the list.
Bullpen coach Chris Young and first base coach Craig Driver have tested positive.
“We still do not have any players on the positive COVID list,” Ross said. “I would tell you right now with protocols and being extra cautious, if you have a headache, if you have a runny nose, if you have body aches, if you have just about anything going on ... we’re going to err on the side of caution.”
Chang shares racist tweets
Indians manager Terry Francona called racist social media messages sent to first baseman Yu Chang “stupid and ignorant” and said they have no place in baseball or “anywhere.”
On Tuesday, Chang shared some anti-Asian postings he received on Twitter after he made a costly error in the ninth inning of Monday night’s game in Chicago. The throwing error allowed the White Sox to score the winning run.
Chang, who is Taiwanese, posted some of the tweets on his account while asking for tolerance.
“Exercise your freedom of speech in a right way, I accept all comments, positive or negative but DEFINITELY NOT RACIST ONES,” Chang wrote. “Thank you all and love you all.”
He included the hashtag StopAsianHate.
Notable
LHP James Paxton will undergo season-ending surgery. Paxton left his April 6 start — his first since returning to Seattle on a 1-year, $8.5 million deal — after 11⁄3 innings with left elbow discomfort.
• Athletics DH/1B Mitch Moreland (hamstring) missed his fourth consecutive game. 1B Matt Olson was out of the lineup after being hit on the left thumb by a pitch in the seventh inning Monday night.
• D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said he will use a rotation of Asdrubal Cabrera, Wyatt Mathisen and Pavin Smith at first base with Christian Walker (oblique) on the injured list.
• Blue Jays OF Teoscar Hernandez tested positive for the coronavirus.