Posey misses workout again, still ‘dealing with personal decision’
Giants catcher Buster Posey, who said in a Saturday interview that he’s leaving the door open to opt out of the 2020 season, missed his second straight workout Thursday and third overall in the past week.
“He’s dealing with a personal decision and a personal issue right now,” said manager Gabe Kapler, whose team is less than two weeks from its scheduled opener in Los Angeles, “and I just really want that to be his time to work on that.”
Posey had expressed “reservation” about playing amid the coronavirus pandemic and wanted to monitor “how things progress here the next couple of weeks” while communicating with his wife. The couple has two young children.
Kapler wouldn’t share details about Posey’s absence out of respect for the player’s privacy. When asked in general terms about the issues teams face with players opting out, Kapler said it’s a significant adjustment.
“We are going to take a familyfirst approach to this,” he said. “We will take it on as a responsibility to scramble as
necessary, but we don’t want to rush these very personal decisions and want to respect and honor the stressors people have that we may not be seeing.
“While every arrow in my body wants to prepare for a majorleague baseball season, I stop myself and remember that right now, people are concerned about their health, and people are concerned about their families, and I’m very comfortable putting those things first when thinking about those until it’s time to put the roster together.”
On Thursday, the Giants staged a simulated game for the second straight day, and Tyler Heineman and Rob Brantly split catching duties. They’re competing for the backup job behind Posey, but an alternate plan would be necessary if Posey doesn’t play.
The 60man player pool includes three other catchers: elite prospect Joey Bart, Patrick Bailey, the team’s top pick in last month’s draft, and Chadwick Tromp.
Posey, a sixtime AllStar and threetime World Series champion, has been a mentor for catchers. His absence leaves a hole not just on the field but off.
“Buster’s presence, anytime he’s in the ballpark and around our young catchers, he’s so influential,” Kapler said. “When he speaks in the bullpen, the bullpen stops. We do a lot of our catching drills out there.
“When he talks about blocking or framing the pitch at the bottom of the zone, everybody just stops and listens to what he has to say because of what he’s accomplished in his career but also because he’s so thoughtful.”
Center fielder Billy Hamilton and pitcher Jarlin Garcia were placed on the 10day injured list for “medical purposes,” Kapler said.
Teams can’t say a player tested positive for the coronavirus unless he gives permission. Previously, the Giants announced Hunter Bishop and Luis Madero tested positive along with two other individuals.