The Rays announced that catcher Francisco Mejia has been placed on the Covid-related injured list after a positive test. Fellow catcher Rene Pinto was recalled to take his place on the roster.
Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician).
Acquired by the Rays as part of the deal that sent Blake Snell to the Padres, Mejia has been excellent in his time in Florida. Although he was considered one of the best prospects in baseball while in the minors, he struggled in his first tastes of the big leagues with the Indians and Padres. As a member of the Rays last year, however, he hit .260/.322/.416 for a wRC+ of 108 and 1.4 wins above replacement, in the estimation of FanGraphs. This year, he was off to a blistering start, hitting a pair of home runs in seven games and slashing .348/.333/.652, 193 wRC+.
Although that type of production would be impossible to sustain over a larger sample, it’s still a blow for the Rays to lose a hot bat. Mike Zunino will likely get the bulk of the playing time behind the dish in Mejia’s absence, though he’s started 2022 with a line of .040/.074/.080. That’s a tiny sample of eight games, however, and Zunino’s line from last year was a healthy .216/.301/.559.
Pinto, 25, was just added to the club’s 40-man roster in November and will make his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game. In 12 Triple-A games so far this year, he’s hitting .268/.388/.341, with an excellent 16.3% walk rate in that small sample.
bassmaster
and he’s perfectly fine w no symptoms but hey let’s keep pretending
raisinsss
Four part question:
1) was Freddie Freeman perfectly fine with no symptoms?
2) do you think he might have preferred if someone along the chain of transmission leading to him maybe took Covid a little more seriously so as to avoid him getting it?
3) are the steps being taking meant only to protect “young and healthy” athletes, or are they also meant to protect older members of coaching staffs and other personnel who regularly come into contact with players and might not be as young or as healthy?
4) on a hurt feelings scale of 1-10, how hurt are your feelings that Francisco Mejia has been replaced by Pinto for a few games?
Thanks!
ekrog
I’ll go:
1) don’t know, but totally different variant.
2) to avoid catching a proven, unavoidable virus that causes some sniffles? He doesn’t care. 3) each person can make their own decisions about risks, from driving to the ballpark to what they eat, etc.
4) 0
Hope Springs Eternal
Pretend that COVID doesn’t exist? Just because you don’t have symptoms of herpes, doesn’t mean you don’t have herpes.
ohyeadam
I’ll take Covid>herpes
erauber
Careful not to step in the virtue
richt
No one here is virtue signaling, which isn’t a real thing anyway.
Would you tell your boss that they’re virtue signaling if you were sick at work and they told you to go home? Because that’s what’s happening with Mejia.
bucketbrew35
In this case no one was virtue signaling. But it is indeed a real thing. It’s pretty much ALL Hollywood does these days. But please continue to live in your bubble.
raisinsss
I don’t actually think that person knows what virtue signaling is.
Seems like complaining about it is really just projecting a selfish and inconsiderate approach to thinking about other people.
THE downvoter
Wrong. Raisiness came here for that exact reason. A clown.
tedtheodorelogan
I’m fairly certain that you just proved virtue signaling is very real.
richt
Was American Sniper virtue signaling too? United 93? America’s triumph over evil? Sounds a lot like “virtue signaling” to me
raisinsss
If you’d kindly describe what you think virtue signaling is, I’d happily tell you if I’m guilty of it 🙂
Captain Judge99
Poor Mejia. Feel better kid.
Brew88
Thanks for actually commenting on the article
You Can Put It In The Books
At least it’s not AIDS.
RonDarlingShouldntBeInTheHallOfFame
I see what you did there..
Metscansuckthis
Didn’t know this was still a thing.
Hope Springs Eternal
Have you been in a coma since April 2020?
Metscansuckthis
No, just don’t walk around in the clutches of pure terror and agony waiting for the world to collapse because of something like COVID. Not worried about getting it, and not gonna stop living my life because the news and government tell me I should.
RunDMC
Too many characters for a bumper sticker.
Ted
You don’t have to be afraid of it, but taking a few days off when you have a highly contagious disease that has killed a million Americans is probably smart wouldn’t you agree?
Or are you the guy who “toughs it out” at work when you have a cold or flu?
richt
Dude if people are treating it like the flu, it doesn’t mean they’re living in “pure terror and agony” or listening to the government/media. No one is stopping living their lives either, including MLB players
chipperniner7
I’m one of the guys who toughs it out when I have a cold or a flu… I do the self testing for covid though just to be safe. Haven’t had Covid since 2019.
bucketbrew35
‘No one is stopping living their lives either, including MLB players.’
They literally shut down the country for almost a year and crushed thousands of small businesses in the process. I would say that qualifies as the government stopping people from living their lives.
TalkSomeSense
Bucket
How many 100,000s more people would have died without mitigation measures before we had vaccines , therapeutics etc. The lack of logic for some and any sense of being an unselfish member of a modern society is a sad commentary . But hey as long as it doesn’t get you who cares right.
bucketbrew35
Not buying it. What’s your excuse that Walmart and Target were chosen to remain open and rake in record profits while the rest of the mom and pop shops had to close their doors? If they were willing to take the risk they should have had the right to do so.
Hope Springs Eternal
Bucket still living in 2020, complaining about the gub’mint
TalkSomeSense
So now it was a conspiracy? To allow big business to drive competition under. SMH . Many business had to adapt to survive but isn’t that something you folks tend to go for survivor of the fittest. Surely it must be as you are totally willing to through the elderly and at risk under the bus. Can’t have it both ways.
bucketbrew35
How is that a conspiracy? When Covid hit, the only entities that were allowed to stay open were mega companies. It’s pretty cut and dry.
Hope Springs Eternal
No, the only entities allowed to stay open were essential grocery stores. That includes the mom-and-pop market near me that I still go to every day.
By the way, all these places were allowed to re-open in 2020. Nearly two years ago. Like I said: you’ve been living under a rock.
pirateking24
Are liquor stores considered grocery stores?
richt
Are liquor stores mega companies?
pinkerton
You’re all still damn nerds for arguing on COVID articles
raisinsss
Did you get here by googling “not having symptoms of herpes but still having herpes”?
And I completely agree with you.
pinkerton
Look what happened in 1992 stays in 1992 ok
tuna411
how come @raisinsssss doesn’t have a ‘reply’ button for his men tal ly ill post?
raisinsss
It’s allllll been downhill since 92.
THE downvoter
Because he is a weak human and mutes all who disagrees with his garbage.
richt
Or maybe it’s because you’re an idiot and raisinsss doesn’t want to see you pretend that COVID isn’t real
tuna411
@richt … (nice third ‘richt’ name) … HEY, how are you doing with your 7th boooster?
TradeAcuna
Do you know what is more pathetic than people here still debating about Covid?
1. The Braves have not won a series
2. The Reds only two wins came against the Braves
3. The Braves still can’t beat the Dodgers in LA
4. Beating the Marlins is apparently an accomplishment after once again proving they can’t beat the team above.
I know know, I’m bitter. Guess the silver lining is they can’t beat anybody this season anyway
Ron Tingley
Sir you brought a baseball bat to a covid fight.
jagonza
Is his BA really higher than his OBP ? Is that a typo ?not sure how that happens ?
richt
I think it can happen because of sac flies
RonDarlingShouldntBeInTheHallOfFame
Was wondering that same thing. Weirdest statline I’ve ever seen.
jide
Sac flies, hbp and not walking
Gwynning
HBP hits your OBP just FYI, TTYL!
Gwynning
Get well soon Franky!
ohyeadam
Zunino’s slash line is the ugliest .860 ops I’ve ever seen