Indians’ Ramirez, Reyes isolated after violations
CLEVELAND — For the third time in less than a year, the Cleveland Indians are having to isolate players because they broke COVID-19 protocols.
Third baseman José Ramírez and slugger Franmil Reyes are being kept away from their teammates at spring training in Arizona after they reported to the team that they went out to dinner in violation of team and Major League Baseball regulations.
Manager Terry Francona said Sunday that the two players were sent to their temporar y homes as the Indians await word from the league as to when they can rejoin the team.
Francona said Reyes, who had a virus-related misstep last season, and Ramirez went out to dinner on Friday following an exhibition game in Mesa against the Chicago Cubs.
They reported to the team’s complex on Saturday and were immediately sent home. They did not have contact with any other players or team personnel.
“We’re pretty fortunate here,” Francona said on a Zoom call. “We have some medical people who are right on top of things and they came right to me and they said: ‘Look, this is what we’re doing. We’re informing the league.’ The players themselves actually self-reported that they had made a mistake.
“So we told them: ‘This is not our rules. These are the rules that the players’ association and Major League Baseball came up with. We have to enforce them.’”
Cubs reliever Strop violates baseball’s COVID-19 rules
MESA, Ariz. — Chicago Cubs reliever Pedro Strop is away from the team after he violated baseball’s COVID-19 protocols.
The 35-year-old Strop is in camp on a minor league deal. The Cubs said MLB will decide when Strop is allowed to rejoin the team.
Strop is tr ying to make it back to the majors after a tough season last year.
The veteran right-hander signed a $1,825,000, one-year deal with Cincinnati after the 2019 season. He was let go by the Reds last August and then signed a minor league contract with the Cubs. But he didn’t appear in a big league game for the rest of the year.
Strop was a fan favorite during his first stint with Chicago. He was acquired along with Jake Arrieta in a 2013 trade with Baltimore for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger.
Strop had 2.90 ERA in 411 appearances with the Cubs over seven years, mostly in a setup role. He was a key member of the 2016 team that won the franchise’s first World Series title since 1908.
Pirates acquire RHP Underwood in trade with Cubs
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired right-hander Duane Under wood Jr. in a trade with the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Under wood, 26, went 1-0 with a 5.66 ERA in 17 games with Chicago during the pandemic-shor tened season. He was designated for assignment on Tuesday.
Under wood, a secondround pick in the 2012 amateur draft, is 1-1 with a 5.20 ERA in 30 career games.
The Cubs received minor league first baseman Shendrik Apostel in the deal. The 20-year-old Apostel was signed by the Pirates out of Curaçao in July 2017.