White Sox’s Renteria not with team
CLEVELAND» Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria woke up Monday with “a slight cough and nasal congestion” and will be kept away from the team pending the results of medical tests.
Bench coach Joe McEwing will manage the White Sox until the team learns more about Renteria’s condition. Monday’s opener of a three-game set at Cleveland was postponed by rain and will be made up Tuesday as part of a traditional doubleheader.
General manager Rick Hahn released a statement saying the 58-year-old Renteria was taken to a Cleveland hospital for evaluation and tests.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Ricky will remain at the team hotel and not manage until we receive confirmation of today’s test result,” Hahn said on Monday.
The team did not say if Renteria, who is in his fourth season as White Sox manager, was being tested for the coronavirus.
Before Monday’s game was postponed, McEwing said on a Zoom conference call with reporters that he spoke to Renteria several times and that “he feels great, feels fine. Just being very cautious.”
The White Sox announced July 5 they had two players test positive for the coronavirus.
The team never identified the players, but star third baseman Yoan Moncada revealed his positive test result after he rejoined the team.
“We’re just continuing to focus on what we’re doing, taking the correct measures to keep everyone as safe as we possibly can,” McEwing said. “As an organization and as training staff we’ve done a pretty good job so far, and hopefully it continues that way.”
Kluber could be done for year with shoulder injury. Twotime AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber could be done for the season after only one inning for the Texas Rangers.
He has a tear in a small muscle in his right shoulder that won’t require surgery, but even in the best-case scenario in this shortened season he won’t throw again for at least four weeks, which is when he will be evaluated again.
“It’s a blow, there’s no getting around it,” said Jon Daniels, the team president.
Daniels said Monday an MRI revealed a grade 2 tear. The 34year-old right-hander will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection this week.
“Given the time frame here and the nature of a 60-game schedule and everything that goes with it, the timeline is not on our side,” Daniels said.
Harrison to Nationals after release from Phillies. Utility player Josh Harrison signed a one-year contract with Washington and was added to their 30-man active roster Monday, less than a week after he was released by Philadelphia.
The 33-year-old Harrison is a two-time All-Star and a righthanded hitter who has started games at second base, third base, shortstop and both corner outfield spots during his nine years in the majors.
“The only positions that I haven’t played are catcher and first — I’ve even got a third of an inning on the mound,” he said.
Harrison said that after he asked for his release from the Phillies, he was immediately in touch with teams other than the Nationals — and was close to agreeing to a deal with one of those clubs.
But about 20 minutes from the end of the 600-mile drive from Philadelphia to his home in Cincinnati with his wife and children, Harrison recounted, his agent called to say: “Change of plans. Washington wants you. Big leagues. Let’s do it right now.”
Jays’ Bichette scratched for leg issue. The Blue Jays lost Bo Bichette about 15 minutes before first pitch Monday when he was scratched because of a tight left hamstring. The second-year player was supposed to play shortstop and lead off.