Giants’ Cueto, Wood go on COVID-19 list
Two of the Giants’ primary worries this season collided Monday when their already thin-in-depth rotation lost two members to the COVID-19 injury list.
Manager Gabe Kapler said left-hander Alex Wood tested positive for the coronavirus and fell ill, and right-hander Johnny Cueto, scheduled to start Monday, went on the injured list without a specified reason. Kapler said Cueto has had two negative coronavirus tests since returning from bereavement leave in the Dominican Republic but Cueto also was not feeling well and will be monitored.
The second-place Dodgers arrive for a three-game series that opens Friday at Oracle Park. Cueto would have been in line to go Saturday and Wood on Sunday in the finale. It’s unclear if Cueto still might be available at some point this week.
Kapler said Wood “really is not feeling well at all, and he’s really broken up about it, really upset,” and Cueto “is not well today, either . ... We’re going to check back in with him throughout the day and do our best to get him healthy as quickly as possible.”
Kapler did not share either player’s vaccination status; players must provide approval for teams to divulge any COVID-related information, but he did note that the Giants are among one of the most thoroughly vaccinated teams in the majors. There are numerous reasons players can be placed on the COVID list beyond positive tests, including side effects from vaccine or booster shots, or exhibiting symptoms similar to COVID.
“First and foremost, you hope that they don’t get super sick and they recover quickly and are healthy and can get back as soon as possible,” first baseman Darin Ruf said. “I don’t know what our startingpitching depth looks like, but we’ve had a bullpen that has been really, really good all year, so if it’s a couple of guys out there that step up and go in for a few innings or someone gets called up from Triple-A to start a few, you just have to keep moving forward.”
San Francisco was among the first teams to reach the 85% vaccination threshold. The Giants had avoided any positive tests all year until last week, when infielder Donovan Solano, who is vaccinated, became sick. He tested positive and has remained quarantined in a hotel room in New York. Assistant hitting coach Justin Viele, who tested negative, is in quarantine as a close contact of Solano; vaccinated close contacts are not required to quarantine.
“I think it’s a real concern,” Kapler said. “That doesn’t make us unique in any way. I know that a lot of clubs have dealt with the virus and dealt with it successfully. We’re just going to do our best under the circumstances, and we’ve done a really good job this season of adapting and adjusting.”
The Giants are encouraging increased mask usage. Like the rest of the staff, Kapler was wearing a mask on the field and in the dugout before Monday’s game. Kapler said he’d seen many players wearing masks on the team bus and plane Sunday. He also mentioned that Solano was among the most diligent mask-wearers on the team and he still tested positive for the virus.
“For the most part, I think guys have been doing a really good job of putting a mask on if they don’t feel well or being distanced from the rest of the guys which I think is, knock on wood, a reason why for the past two years, we’ve had only these few cases,” shortstop Brandon Crawford said. “So we continue on that same path.”
“Obviously, moving forward, we have to be more cognizant of the fact that you know, it’s a little more prevalent now with breakthrough cases,” Ruf said. “We’ll take a few more extra precautions here and there, maybe try to stay in the room as much as possible on the road or or stick to outdoor dining to help us get through September and October.”
As for potentially facing the Dodgers down two starters, Crawford said, “It’s no different than an injury, where it’s maybe a little bit unlucky and you keep going with the guys that are available and try to win each game.”
The Giants gave reliever José Alvárez the start against Milwaukee on Monday, but the rotation for the rest of the week is unclear, especially because Wood was scheduled to pitch Tuesday. Several health concerns arose among the starters the past two weeks. Anthony DeSclafani spent time on the IL with an ankle injury that continues to cause him discomfort, and r Kevin Gausman revealed Friday he has been dealing with a hip problem much of the year.
The Giants recalled right-handed reliever John Brebbia and infielder Jason Vosler from Triple-A Sacramento and claimed lefthander José Quintana off waivers from the Angels earlier in the day; he has not yet joined the team.
At Triple-A Sacramento, Olympian Scott Kazmir hasn’t pitched particularly well since returning from Japan but he’d be available starting Friday and he’s left-handed, and the Dodgers are left-handed heavy. Logan Ondrusek, scheduled to go Tuesday, has 16 strikeouts in 132⁄3 innings and a 3.95 ERA since signing as a minor-league free agent.