Torres 8th Yankee to test positive for virus
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Gleyber Torres has a confirmed case of breakthrough COVID-19, the Yankees announced before the game. The shortstop is the first player to test positive during the team’s recent outbreak.
“The Yankees can today confirm that INF Gleyber Torres has received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. He was fully vaccinated and previously had COVID-19 during the most recent baseball offseason,” a team statement read.
Torres, who was held out of Wednesday night’s game while the MLB/MLBPA joint committee reviewed his results, was placed on the COVID-19 list and the team recalled Miguel Andujar before Thursday night’s game against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
He joins seven other confirmed cases with the team’s traveling party, which include three coaches. Third base coach Phil Nevin, first base coach Reggie Willits and pitching coach Matt Blake are in quarantine after positive tests. So are four unnamed support staffers.
The Yankees said six of the seven are asymptomatic and the seventh is experiencing mild symptoms.
The Yankees’ case has become so notable that Thursday afternoon CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky was asked about it.
“With regard to the Yankees, we obviously need to learn more about that situation. My understanding is that six of the seven infections were indeed asymptomatic infections and we will look to more data from that report to understand what happened there,” she said in a televised briefing. “All of the real world data we’ve seen that’s been in the published literature, large studies, in many different settings, have demonstrated that those vaccines have a high effectiveness against disease.”
Still, MLB and the Yankees were comfortable going forward with Wednesday night’s game against the Rays at Tropicana Field. MLB had postponed 45 games last season because of outbreaks and seven this year.
Sources with the league said their contract tracing could not identify a player who was a close contact and would need to miss games. The league also feels because the Yankees have such a high rate of vaccination it helps contain the spread and effects on those who test positive.
“I think if this was last year, it would be like a canceled game without any questions,” Rays righthander Tyler Glasnow said. “I think they have a good grip on what’s going on. From what I know no one from our team has tested positive or anything, so there’s definitely separation from their side.”
And it’s changed the way the Yankees are going about their business. After reaching the 85% vaccinated mark last week, the Yankees were allowed more freedoms under the MLB/MLBPA COVID joint committee’s health and safety protocols. They were allowed to go maskless in the dugout, dine out and meet in the hotel.