Markakis has change of heart, returns to Braves
Nick Markakis returned to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, three weeks after announcing he was opting out of the season due to his concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
The veteran outfielder who is in his sixth season with Atlanta said he changed his mind about sitting out after watching his teammates play the first five games.
“Sitting at home, watching these guys compete ... and all the risks they’re going through going out there, in the pit of my stomach I felt I wanted to be out there,” Markakis said.
He said he realized returning was possible following a phone call from Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos earlier this week.
The 36-year-old Markakis says he has the full support of his family, including his three children, to return.
“It was nice to be home with the family, but more than anything I know my family wanted me to be out there with (the Braves),” he said.
He also has the support of Braves manager Brian Snitker.
“If he wants to be back, everybody is happy to have him back, I know that,” Snitker said.
Markakis opted out on July 6, when he said he was uneasy about playing the season without fans and then was swayed by his telephone conversation with teammate Freddie Freeman, who tested positive for COVID-19. Freeman struggled with symptoms that included a high fever of 104.5 degrees, and Markakis acknowledged again Wednesday that he was influenced by Freeman’s struggles.
Phillies staffer tests positive
A coronavirus outbreak on another team has left the Philadelphia Phillies idle for five days, aiming to return to play a doubleheader that could entail 7-inning games and scheduling a new opponent next week.
One employee who works in the visiting clubhouse has tested positive for the coronavirus following a season-opening series against the Marlins in Philadelphia last weekend, but all Phillies players and on-field staff tested negative for a second straight day, general manager Matt Klentak said Wednesday.
Sixteen players for the Marlins have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the test results were not announced.
Doubleheaders could be shortened
Ernie Banks famously said: “Let’s play two.”
Baseball players just might not want to play nine innings twice in one day during this pandemic-delayed season.
While Cleveland swept the Chicago White Sox in the first doubleheader of the season on Tuesday, union head Tony Clark called Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem and said players might want to consider shortened twinbills this year.
The players’ association is surveying members and may propose either two seven-inning games for a twinbill of nine innings for the opener and seven for the nightcap.
Major League Baseball is checking opinions at the owner and general manager levels, and staff hopes for a decision by Saturday to make a change or leave the rules the way the are.
Philadelphia and Toronto are scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday as the Phillies resume play following a five-day layoff. The time off was caused by waiting to make no players or staff were infected during games against the Miami Marlins last weekend.
Astros acquire Velazquez from Orioles
The pitching-strapped Houston Astros have acquired right-hander Hector Velázquez from the Baltimore Orioles for a player to named.
The deal, announced Wednesday, comes after the AL champion Astros learned that reigning Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander will be out a while with a strained forearm.
Velázquez went 1-4 with a 5.43 ERA with Boston last year before coming to the Orioles via a waiver claim in March. The 31-year-old was not on Baltimore’s opening day roster but was part of the 60-man player pool.
Indians’ Perez goes on IL
The Cleveland Indians placed starting catcher Roberto Pérez on the 10-day injured list with a sore throwing shoulder.
Pérez hurt his right shoulder while making an off-balance throw in Friday’s season opener when he scrambled to retrieve a third strike that got past him. He slipped and fell while firing the ball to first.
A Gold Glove winner last season, Pérez has played since, but the shoulder has continued to bother him, so the Indians will shut him down for at least one week.
Manager Terry Francona said Pérez will not throw for seven days and then will be reexamined. While the Indians are on the road, Pérez will get treatment at the team’s alternate Lake County (A) facility.
Nats OF Soto awaits DC clearance to return after COVID test
Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto was still waiting on Wednesday to be cleared to play by the city government after getting the OK from Major League Baseball to return from the COVID-19 injured list.
Manager Dave Martinez said the Nationals hope their 21-year-old slugger will be allowed to work out with the team starting Saturday and play in their first game after that — which is next Tuesday at home against the New York Mets.
Soto, who had 34 homers and 110 RBIs during the 2019 regular season and was a breakout star of October, tested positive for the coronavirus and was sidelined on opening day last week.
Ex-A’s manager McNamara dies
John McNamara, who managed the Boston Red Sox to within one strike of a World Series victory in 1986 before an unprecedented collapse on the field extended the team’s championship drought into the new millennium, has died. He was 88.
McNamara died Tuesday at his home in Tennessee, his wife, Ellen, told The Associated Press. The death was unexpected and the cause was not yet known, she said.
A weak-hitting catcher who first signed with the St. Louis Cardinals but never made it past Triple-A, McNamara went on to win — and lose — more than 1,000 games while managing six major league teams.
McNamara, who had previously managed the A’s, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds and California Angels, went on to take over the Cleveland Indians in 1990 but was fired the next season. He also served as the interim Angels manager for 28 games in 1996.