The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)

Chapman

-

Houston also scrapped its July 6 workout because of delays with testing results due to the holiday weekend, as did some other teams around the majors.

Houston general manager James Click said they decided to cancel July 11’s workout as a precaution.

“As part of MLB’s testing and reporting plan, we were alerted that a staff member was potentiall­y exposed to a COVID-positive individual outside the organizati­on,”

Click said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we have canceled today’s workout. We are working closely with MLB and our team physicians to follow the establishe­d testing and cleaning protocols so that we can safely bring our players and staff back to the field as soon as possible.”

The cancellati­on came after All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman was held out of practice on Wednesday because of delays in receiving his test results.

Also testing positive was Kansas City backup catcher Cam Gallagher said he has the virus. Gallagher, who said

he is asymptomat­ic, participat­ed in an intrasquad game on Friday night before receiving his positive test results July 11.

A day after joining his team for workouts, Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo said that despite two positive tests, he isn’t sure if he had the coronaviru­s.

His confusion stemmed from the fact that he didn’t experience symptoms and also had multiple negative tests. Gallo said he planned to have a more extensive antibody test to be sure after a finger-prick test didn’t indicate that he had COVID-19.

The All-Star slugger missed the first week of Texas’ summer camp after two positive tests that sandwiched a negative result during intake testing. He had two negative tests on his own outside of the MLB testing program but wasn’t cleared to join the team until having consecutiv­e negative tests under the protocol.

“It was a strange process to go through. There wasn’t much anybody could have done because the test came up positive,” Gallo said. “It was weird, it was hard to get real answers on if I really had it or not . ... As of right now I am coming up negative and

that’s how I am hoping to stay the rest of the season.”

The delay of the season due to the pandemic has given Yoenis Céspedes time to recover from injuries and the Mets slugger said he’ll be ready for the first game.

The 34-year-old slugger has struggled with a string of injuries to his feet and legs that have kept him out of the lineup for almost two years. He could be a good candidate to be the team’s designated hitter with the National League using it this season.

The two-time All-Star missed last season and most of 2018. He had surgery on

both heels and then broke his right ankle in a nasty fall at his Florida ranch.

RETURNS » Cleveland outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. worked out July 11 for the first time since his COVID-19 diagnosis.

DeShields, who had mild symptoms, had been in Cleveland for a few days but wasn’t cleared until Saturday after testing negative twice.

Indians manager Terry Francona said DeShields, who was acquired in a trade from Texas in December, took batting practice and did some running.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States