MLB: 0.3% positives during intake testing
Thirteen of 4,336 tests for the coronavirus were positive during intake for Major League Baseball’s spring training, a rate of 0.3%.
The commissioner’s office said Friday that nine positive samples involved players and four involved staff. Positive tests included 11 of the 30 teams.
After the intake screening, there were no new positives among 2,298 monitoring test samples. Samples thus far totaled 6,634.
All players on 40man rosters and players with minorleague contracts invited to big league training camp are screened. Those also tested included all other onfield personnel such as managers, coaches and athletic trainers, strength and conditioning staff and physicians.
Arbitration: Outfielder Ian Happ defeated the Cubs in baseball’s final salary arbitration case this year and will get a raise from $624,000 to $4.1 million.
Teams finished with a 54 advantage in cases that went to a hearing, their second straight winning record after two consecutive years in which players had an advantage. Overall, teams are 325247 since arbitration began in 1974.
Mets add Walker: The Mets made an addition to their rotation, agreeing to a $20 million, twoyear contract with righthander Taijuan Walker.
Walker was 43 with a 2.70 ERA over 11 starts during the pandemicshortened 2020 season for the Mariners and Blue Jays. He is 3534 with a 3.84 ERA in 105 starts and three relief appearances over eight seasons with Seattle (201316, 2020), Arizona (201719) and Toronto.
Gardner reups: Brett Gardner is returning to the Yankees for a 14th season. The 37yearold outfielder and New York reportedly agreed to a $4 million, oneyear contract.
Gardner is the last player remaining from the Yankees’ last World Series title in 2009. He hit .223 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 130 atbats last year after reaching careerbest totals of 28 homers and 74 RBIs in 2019 to go along with a .251 average.
Ross signs: Former A’s pitcher Tyson Ross has signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, though the Berkeley native and Cal alum initially won’t be part of their majorleague camp.
The Rangers said that the 33yearold righthander, whose last big league action was with Detroit in 2019, will participate in workouts with their rehab group.
After three appearances for the Giants in spring training last year, Ross was released prior to the start of summer camp and decided not to play in 2020.
Medical report: Nationals ace Max Scherzer sprained his left ankle while running and is not working off a mound yet, but says his arm is fine . ... Righthander Edward Cabrera, one of the Marlins’ top prospects, will be sidelined indefinitely with an inflamed nerve in his right biceps . ... Indians manager Terry Francona recently underwent surgery for a staph infection in his left big toe and will be on crutches for several weeks in training camp.
Briefly: The Red Sox will send the Royals $2.8 million as part of the Feb. 10 threeteam trade that moved outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Royals . ... Infielder Todd Frazier agreed to a minorleague deal with the Pirates that includes an invitation to big league spring training. Frazier, 35, split time with Texas and the Mets in 2020, hitting .236 with four home runs and 12 RBIs . ... Lefthander Oliver Perez, 39, agreed to a minorleague deal with the Indians with an invitation to big league training camp. Perez has spent the past three seasons with Cleveland.