Yastrzemski, back from COVID list, returns to lineup
LOS ANGELES — As he tried to maintain the good feeling he had just reached with his swing, Mike Yastrzemski hit foam balls and socks in his hotel room in Washington while in quarantine.
And, after three days with a sore throat, the San Francisco Giants’ outfielder felt fine. Test after test for the coronavirus came up positive, though, and Yastrzemski remained on the COVID-19 injured list.
“That was the most frustrating part because I was feeling ready to go and feeling completely fine,” Yastrzemski said. “And the tests just weren’t following up.”
As several teammates followed him onto the COVID IL — relievers Zack Littell and Dominic Leone, first baseman Brandon Belt, injured outfielder Steven Duggar, and a member of the training staff (all of whom are still out) — Yastrzemski said he was “feeling helpless. Helpless is the worst feeling in that situation because you want to do something but you can’t.”
Yastrzemski also couldn’t see his wife, Paige, and baby girl, Quinley, until he did so, masked, the two days before he rejoined the Giants.
Testing positive blindsided Yastrzemski. He had a little bit of a sore throat, but the team had been playing in cold weather in Cleveland and New York, and he figured he had a cold or allergies. COVID-19 “was the last thing on my mind,” he said,
to the point that when manager Gabe Kapler asked him how he was doing, he told him, “When
the test comes back negative, I’m ready to go.”
Yastrzemski was 7 for his last 15 with a homer before missing eight games. He was in the lineup and batting sixth Wednesday.
“To some extent, it is nice for your body to recover and to be fresh — but you wait too long and then you know your body’s going to need to catch up,” he said. “So hopefully I’ve hit that sweet spot.”
Facial features: It’s Mustache May again, and Yastrzemski is sporting a beaut; he joked he had nothing but time to grow it while out and he declared his the best in the clubhouse.
He did applaud Mauricio Dubón for trying to grow one again. It’s not really robust, but “it’s better than last year,” Yastrzemski said.
Austin Slater, a Mustache May regular, is using the ’stache competition to boost a mentalhealth advocacy group, Bring Change to Mind, with sales of mustache T-shirts.
Briefly: LaMonte Wade Jr. (knee) and Evan Longoria (finger), on rehab assignments, were both 0-for-4 at Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday; Tommy La Stella (Achilles) will be back in action Thursday. Wade is likely to rejoin the Giants in the next day or two . ... To make room for Yastrzemski, Luke Williams was optioned to Sacramento . ... The Giants lost right-hander Cory Abbott on waivers to the Nationals . ... Utilityman Jason Krizan cleared waivers and went to Sacramento . ... The Giants signed left-hander Darien Nuñez, acquired after Tommy John surgery and then designated for assignment last month, to a minor-league deal.