MLB extends Bauer’s leave, he won’t face Giants
The Yankees’ post-All-Star break opener against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests among vaccinated New York pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said three additional tests were pending and he assumed they would come back positive.
Loaisiga went on the COVID-19 injured list Saturday, when the Yankees were in Houston. He did not travel home with the team Sunday.
Cashman said all three were fully vaccinated, as are most of the players on the team.
While vaccinations do not prevent a person from contracting COVID, it prevents severe effects.
Cashman said Major League Baseball had not yet decided whether to postpone today’s second scheduled game of the four-game series.
This was the eighth COVID-related postponement this season but the first in nearly three months.
There were 45 regular-season games postponed for virus-related reasons last year.
New York was among the first MLB teams to reach the 85% vaccination threshold to lessen coronavirus protocols such as dropping mask use in dugouts and bullpens.
MLB said in its last announcement June 25 that 23 of its 30 teams had reached 85% vaccinations among tier 1 individuals such as players and on-field staff. The Red Sox were not among them.
New York players were on the field taking batting practice about 31/2 hours before the scheduled start Thursday when the Yankees asked media to leave the field while the team conducted COVID testing.
SANTIAGO’S SUSPENSION UPHELD >> The 10game suspension for Seattle Mariners pitcher Héctor Santiago for violating baseball’s sticky substance rules was upheld by MLB special adviser John McHale Jr.
Santiago will start serving the suspension today, when the Mariners open their post-AllStar break schedule against the Angels.
Santiago was suspended by Michael Hill, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president for onfield operations, on June 30, two days after the 33-year-old left-hander became the first player suspended under MLB’s crackdown on unauthorized sticky substances. Santiago also was fined. Santiago’s suspension is with pay. Crew chief Tom Hallion said then that Santiago was ejected for “having a foreign substance that was sticky on the inside palm of his glove.” The pitcher said what the umpires found was a combination of rosin and sweat.
PEDERSON DEALT FROM CUBS TO BRAVES >> The Atlanta Braves acquired Joc Pederson in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, bolstering their outfield after losing All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr. to a season-ending knee injury.
Atlanta sent minor league first baseman Bryce Ball to Chicago for Pederson, who is batting .230 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs in 73 games. The 29-year-old Pederson spent his first seven seasons with the Dodgers before signing with the Cubs as a free agent in February.
The Braves are looking to return to the playoffs, but their pursuit of a fourth straight NL East title took a hit when Acuña tore the ACL in his right knee Saturday.