Yankees ace Cole tests positive for COVID-19

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not make his scheduled start today.

New York manager Aaron Boone made the announcement after Monday night’s 7-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Boone said he was informed of Cole’s positive test in the second inning.

In his second season with the Yankees, the 30-year-old righthander is 10-6 with a 3.11 ERA in 21 starts. The four-time All-Star is coming off a 14-0 loss at Tampa Bay on July 29 in which he allowed eight runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Boone said Nestor Cortes Jr. likely will start in place of Cole. Cortes has no record and a 1.93 ERA in three starts and eight relief appearances this season. BREWERS CLOSER HADER ON COVID-19 LIST >> All-Star closer Josh Hader has joined the growing collection of Milwaukee Brewers on the COVID-19 injured list. Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Hader reported contact with someone experiencing “COVIDlike symptoms.”

“So we tested him, and it came back positive,” Counsell said before the Brewers’ Monday game with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates were also facing virus-related issues. Pittsburgh placed pitcher Chad Kuhl on the COVID-19 list after a positive test and recalled pitcher Shea Spitzbarth from Triple-A Indianapolis.

The positive tests mean Hader and Kuhl must sit out 10 days. ALSO >> Milwaukee acquired reliever John Axford from the Toronto Blue Jays for $1. Axford hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2018 and began this season as a studio analyst on the Blue Jays’ television broadcast crew . ... Former AllStar outfielder David Dahl was designated for assignment by the rebuilding Texas Rangers. Dahl hit .210 with four homers and 18 RBIs in his 63 games with the Rangers, who signed the 2019 NL League All-Star for $2.7 million last winter.