Black, 5 others in COVID protocol
The Rockies placed four players on the injured list under Major League Baseball’s COVID19 protocols on Friday. In addition, manager Bud Black and first-base coach Ron Gideon also face contact tracing protocols.
None of them participated in Friday night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field.
Colorado placed right-handed pitchers Antonio Senzatela, Yency Almonte and Jhoulys Chacín, as well as outfielder Yonathan Daza, on the injured list.
The Rockies did not reveal if any of the players tested positive for COVID or if anyone experienced any symptoms.
The Rockies were among the first teams to reach an 85% vaccination rate.
To fill the roster, the club recalled left-hander Ben Bowden, outfielder Sam Hilliard and right-hander Antonio Santos from Triple-a Albuquerque. The Rockies also selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Zac Rosscup as a replacement player.
Bench coach Mike Redmond managed the Rockies Friday night. He said he could not reveal any more details about the situation.
“I can’t talk any specifics,” Redmond said. “All I can say is these guys are in MLB’S contact tracing protocols. I wish I could give you more but I can’t.”
Redmond said he didn’t believe there was any discussion about potentially postponing Friday’s game.
“That was never in any of the conversations that I had or have been a part of,” he said. “The game was always ready to go and be played.”
Rockies right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez, who had been scheduled to start Saturday against the Dodgers, was bumped up to start Friday night’s game. Lefty Kyle Freeland, who was slated to pitch Sunday, will now start Saturday night.
Rockies right-hander Jon Gray will start Sunday’s game.
With Gideon absent, the Rockies turned to Doug Bernier, their major league data and game-planning coordinator, to serve as first base coach Friday night.
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox returned to action Friday night after positive COVID-19 tests for six Yankees players caused Thursday’s game to be postponed.
All six of the Yankees’ cases from Thursday were confirmed Friday, with Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela and Kyle Higashioka officially joining Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta on the COVID-19 injured list.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who managed the National League team in Tuesday’s All-star Game in Denver, said players and staff from Los Angeles have gone through two rounds of testing. Those all came back negative prior to Friday’s game against the Rockies.
“It is what it is, just got to kind of adhere to whatever they ask,” he said. “I was hoping we were past it all but unfortunately we’re not.”