Indians minus Ramirez, Reyes after they break coronavirus protocol

The Cleveland Indians have broken COVID-19 protocols for the third time in less than a year, this time costing them third baseman Jose Ramirez and slugger Franmil Reyes.

Manager Terry Francona said Sunday the two players were sent to their Arizona homes while the Indians wait to hear from Major League Baseball when they can rejoin the team.

Francona said Reyes, who had a virus-related misstep last season, and Ramirez went out to dinner on Friday following an exhibition game in Mesa against the Chicago Cubs.

They reported to the team’s complex on Saturday and were immediately sent away. They did not have contact with any other players or team personnel.

“The players themselves actually self-reported that they had made a mistake,” Francona said on a Zoom call.

When spring training resumed last year after being stopped due to the pandemic, Reyes was forced to quarantine after the team learned via a social media posting that he attended a July 4 party while wearing a mask.

A month later, the Indians placed pitchers Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac on the restricted list after they broke protocols by going out to dinner while the team was in Chicago. Clevinger, who was traded a few weeks later to San Diego, initially didn’t disclose he had been out with Plesac.

Francona understands that players may be fatigued by the COVID-19 guidelines, but they’re in place to protect their safety.

“I do get it,” he said. “Everybody wants to get rid of your mask and it’d be nice to go sit in a restaurant. Those aren’t the conditions we’re playing under. I also know those guys are young and it’s not normal to be cooped up.”

“It doesn’t have to just be baseball. It’s everybody. It’s life. But these are the rules we’re playing under and the more we follow them, the better chance it gives us to be a complete baseball team. Because right now, we’ve lost a couple guys for two, three, four days. That doesn’t help,” he said.

Francona said he hoped to have more information about the situation later. He said he spoke to both players, and they understood they could have put others in jeopardy.

“They were both upfront and honest with us about what happened,” Francona said. “We’re not trying to put guys in the penalty box. We try to talk to guys almost every day. ‘Hey, this is gonna happen if — it doesn’t matter if you agree with it or not. These are the protocols that are in place and you have to live by it.’ ”