Braves pitcher Hernandez opts out of 2020 season
Former Cy Young winner Félix Hernández has opted out of the 2020 season, at least temporarily ending his bid to revive his career with the Atlanta Braves.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said that Hernández, 34, opted out due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was made after Hernández participated in workouts on Friday and Saturday at Truist Park.
The decision came a day after Snitker announced that All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, premier reliever Will Smith, righthander Touki Toussaint and infielder Pete Kozma tested positive for COVID-19.
Snitker said Hernández may have realized “it is way, way different” now as players must deal with the concerns of trying to start the season during the pandemic.
“Everybody told him it would be, but until you live it I don’t think you know it,” Snitker said. “As tests come in and outbreaks and things like that, I think it’s just human nature to process these things as you have family members involved and children and things like that.”
Hernández, a six-time All-Star in 15 seasons with Seattle who won the 2010 AL Cy Young Award, needed a fresh start following 2019, his worst season. The righthander called King Felix posted a 6.40 ERA, was 1-8 in 15 starts and lost his spot in the rotation.
Hernández signed a oneyear minor league deal with the Braves on Jan. 20. He would have earned $1 million if added to Atlanta’s 40man roster.
FRANCONA FAVORS NAME CHANGE FOR INDIANS >>
Cleveland manager Terry Francona won’t sidestep the hot-button topic any longer. He believes the Indians need to change their contentious nickname.
“I think it’s time to move forward,” Francona said.
Francona’s comments came two days after the Indians, amid a nationwide movement to erase racially insensitive symbols, released a statement saying the organization is “committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name.”
The team’s announcement came hours after the NFL’s Washington franchise said it will undergo a review of their name and logo.
During a Zoom call following a morning workout for his team at Progressive Field, Francona said he will no longer sidestep the subject of Cleveland’s name or mascot. The team removed the highly debated Chief Wahoo logo from its game jerseys and caps last year, and now will consider changing a nickname that has been in place since 1915.
“I’ve been thinking about it and been thinking about it before we put out that statement,” he said. “I know in the past, when I’ve been asked about, whether it’s our name or the Chief Wahoo, I think
I would usually answer and say I know that we’re never trying to be disrespectful.
“And I still feel that way. But I don’t think that’s a good enough answer today. I think it’s time to move forward. It’s a very difficult subject. It’s also delicate.”
Francona acknowledged his own past errors in judgment. He doesn’t want to be labeled as someone who can’t adapt or change with the times.
“Even at my age, you don’t want to be too old to learn or to realize that, maybe I’ve been ignorant of some things, and to be ashamed of it, and to try to be better,” said the 61-yearold, who guided the Red Sox to two World Series titles.
• Francona also said his longtime bench coach Brad Mills has left the club to be with his family. Mills’ 18-month-old grandson, Beau, drowned during spring training.
“I think it was agonizing for him to leave home,” Francona said. “I think it was agonizing for him to leave here. But I know in my heart he made the right decision.”
NATIONALS’ DOOLITTLE
SPEAKS OUT >> Minutes after Nationals manager Dave Martinez said two unidentified players out of 60 tested were positive for the virus, reliever Sean Doolittle lamented not having his test results back from Friday and implored baseball to “clean this up.”
The 33-year-old said the Nationals still haven’t received the respirator masks they were told were coming.
“It’s a little bit disorganized,” Doolittle said. “We’re not getting tests back in time. They still haven’t sent us the PPE. We’re supposed to have N95 masks, stuff like that, gowns, gloves. We’re supposed to have that stuff, we don’t have that stuff.
Those are the things it’s going to take for people to stay safe enough for us to continue this season.”
Doolittle said he’s still debating whether to play.
“I’m planning on playing,” he said, “but if at any point I start to feel unsafe, if it starts to take a toll on my mental health with all these things that we have to worry about and just kind of this cloud of uncertainty hanging over everything, then I’ll opt out.”
TANAKA BACK WITH YANKEES >> New York Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka was back at Yankee Stadium, a day after getting hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton. Tanaka’s quick return — and relatively minor injuries — is even more amazing when considering the speed at which that line drive was traveling when it hit Tanaka. “That ball came back, I think they said 112 mph,” Yankees lefty James Paxton said.
PIRATES, WHITE SOX ANNOUNCE POSITIVE TESTS >>
The Pirates said outfielder Socrates Brito and pitcher Blake Cederlind tested positive for the coronavirus and the White Sox announced two unidentified players have also tested positive.