Red Sox manager Cora tests positive for COVID

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday morning and did not manage the series-ending 3-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

Cora will not travel with the team to St. Petersburg, Fla., for the weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox said Cora, who is vaccinated and boosted, was suffering from mild symptoms.

Bench coach Will Venable took Cora’s place in the dugout. A’S VOGT GOES ON INJURED LIST >> Oakland catcher/first baseman Stephen Vogt was placed on the 10-day injured list with what manager Mark Kotsay described as a Grade 2 sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

“No timelines, we’ll let you know when he starts back up with baseball stuff,” Kotsay said.

Catcher Austin Allen took Vogt’s place, reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list. The A’s designated RHP Miguel Romero for assignment and added catcher/first baseman Christian Bethancourt to the 40-man roster after he served as the substitute player with all of the players on the COVID list.

NATIONALS RELIEVER HARVEY ON IL >> The Washington Nationals placed reliever Hunter Harvey on the 10-day injured list with a right pronator strain and promoted right-hander Erasmo Ramírez from Triple-A Rochester.

GIANTS LOSE DUGGAR >> San Francisco center fielder Steven Duggar suffered a left oblique injury while fouling off a pitch against Carrasco in the second. Manager Gabe Kapler said Duggar would be placed on the injured list.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING >> Mets manager Buck Showalter returned after undergoing a medical procedure Wednesday, when Carlos Rodon struck out eight over five scoreless innings for the Giants against the Mets.

“I picked the night that Rodon was pitching on purpose,” Showalter said. “He’s pretty good.”