Ace Nola MIA from camp, Covid suspected
PHILADELPHIA » What seems to be a daily up-close-anddigitally-personal session with Joe Girardi ended on a curious note Saturday, when the Phillies manager vaguely noted Aaron Nola is MIA from summer training camp.
Moments after Girardi had listed two other players, center fielder Adam Haseley and minor league invitee catcher Christian Bethancourt, were not in camp but working out on their own, apparently locally, he couldn’t avoid a question about Nola.
With pitchers working at both FDR Park and Citizens Bank Park, it can be kind of challenging to put eyes on so many masked baseball men from press box distance.
What’s more, with COVID-19 still ruling everyone’s daily activities, the MLB powers that be have mandated that no comments be made concerning a player’s individual health status from a manager or any club staff member. Thus, determining a reason as to why a player might be missing is also anyone’s guess.
Hence, when Girardi was given one last Zoom session question Saturday as to, ‘Hey, Where’s Aaron?’ ... he had to say only what he could.
“He ... is not here yet,” Girardi said with a mid-sentence pause for effect. “We’re trying to work our way through that.”
OK then, that’s a wrap! Thanks everybody!
Girardi had said both Haseley and Bethancourt’s absences were “due to a medical condition.”
Naturally, no Nola is a matter of concern, medical condition or not. Even if this wasn’t a weird Fourth of July “spring” training day. He is coming off a difficult and unsuccessful 2019, yet he remains the undisputed No. 1 Phillies starting pitcher.
Haseley, the club’s firstround draftee (No. 8 overall) in 2017, came up and provided key outfield depth last season, hitting .266 with a .720 OPS through 222 at-bats as a rookie. He is expected by many to nail down a starting role in center this season, with Andrew McCutchen coming off a major knee injury.
Also listed as MIA before the camp began last week were anticipated starting second baseman Scott Kingery, closer Hector Neris and fellow relievers Tommy Hunter and Ranger Suarez. How many of the absences are due to testing positive for COVID-19 is officially up for debate, though it’s suspected all are there after testing positive.