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Austin Meadows Tests Positive For Coronavirus

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10:00pm: Meadows offered Topkin an encouraging update via text, writing: “The first couple days I was pretty fatigued and some mild cold symptoms. But feeling ready to go now.” There’s no known timetable for his return, though.

8:01pm: The Rays have placed outfielder Austin Meadows on the injured list as a result of a positive COVID-19 test, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The club has also added left-handed reliever Aaron Loup to its 40-man roster.

Meadows has been absent from workouts since last week, so this isn’t necessarily a stunning development. Nevertheless, it’s certainly disheartening to see another positive test confirmation. It’s unclear whether Meadows is exhibiting any symptoms at the moment, but he’ll need to show he’s asymptomatic and test negative for the illness twice in a 24-hour span before he’s eligible to return to the Rays.

When he is able to come back, Meadows will try to build on an exemplary first season with the Rays. The 25-year-old emerged as one of the sport’s brightest young talents last season, hitting .291/.364/.558 with 33 home runs and 12 stolen bases en route to an All-Star nod.

Loup, 32, joined the Rays on a minor league contract in February. His 2019 season, which he spent with San Diego, was largely a wash because of elbow problems that limited him to 3 1/3 innings. Loup has typically been reliable throughout his career, though, having recorded a 3.45 ERA with 8.39 K/9, 2.76 BB/9 and a 54.3 percent groundball rate over 326 frames since he debuted with the Blue Jays in 2012.

11 Umpires To Opt Out Of 2020 Season

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JULY 16: The umpires presently expected not to participate are Tom Hallion, Mike Winters, Fieldin Culbreth, Phil Cuzzi, Brian Gorman, Jerry Layne, Scott Barry, Kerwin Danley, Sam Holbrook, and Gerry Davis, per Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com (Twitter link).

JULY 14: Eleven MLB umps have exercised their right to opt out of (or otherwise decided not to participate in) the 2020 season, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports on Twitter.

That’s a rather large number of umpires, in the context of the league’s typical overall roster. The present list includes about ninety umps in all.

The league had entered the season planning on 19 crews, as usual. That would involve 76 umpires. If anything, there’ll now be a greater need for reserves given the possibilities of individuals or crews requiring isolation due to the coronavirus situation.

While that’s a significant loss of experience, it shouldn’t be all that difficult to find alternatives. Given the unfortunate cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season, there will be no shortage of candidates from the lower ranks to take a step up to the ranks of MLB umpires.

Miguel Sano Cleared To Re-Join Twins

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Twins slugger Miguel Sano has been cleared to re-join the club’s Summer Camp, per a team announcement. He had previously tested positive for COVID-19.

There’s no indication that Sano is any worse for the wear after dealing with the coronavirus infection. Thankfully, he seems to have had a mild case and has obviously now twice tested negative for a continuing infection.

Sano, 27, is slated to move to first base this season to make way for incoming third bagger Josh Donaldson. If all goes as hoped, Sano will pick up where he left off last year, when he socked a career-high 34 home runs and ran up a .247/.346/.576 batting line in 439 plate appearances.

That big showing earned Sano an extension this spring. Fortunately, for his sake, the deal included only a $3MM salary for the 2020 season — the one that’ll be discounted due to the pandemic. He’s guaranteed a total of $23MM for the 2021-22 campaigns (including the buyout on a 2023 club option).

Can Players That Opt Out Change Their Minds?

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There’s a still-growing list of notable players that have decided to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. That raises the question: what if any of these players, for whatever reason and at whatever point in time, changes his mind?

The answer depends upon the particulars, according to reporting this morning from The Athletic’s Jim Bowden and Jayson Stark (links to Twitter). And the policy may yet be subject to change.

The general rule is that there’s no going back. Once a player opts out of the 2020 campaign, he’s ineligible to play in the regular or postseason. That player would then simply step back into the remainder of his contract situation (or enter free agency) at the conclusion of this season.

That said, there is a notable carve-out for those players that are deemed personally “high-risk” for coronavirus infection. Such players — who receive salary and service time even if they opt out — are permitted to submit a request to return. Per Stark, there’s some kind of process involving team physicians and a joint committee to determine whether to honor the request. (Precisely what steps are required and what factors are considered isn’t entirely clear.)

So, what of players not placed in the personal “high-risk” category? They’ve got to make an in-or-out choice, for the moment. But Stark notes that there has at least been some amount of chatter surrounding the idea of creating a path back to participation in 2020. Again, it’s not clear what that might entail — e.g., whether the player would need to demonstrate some change in circumstance to justify the change of heart.

Jordan Hicks Opts Out Of 2020 Season

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JULY 14: A setback in Hicks’ Tommy John rehab played a part in his decision to opt out, manager Mike Shildt revealed Tuesday (via Saxon). Hicks is dealing with inflammation and would not have been able to pitch until at least September had he decided to play this year.

JULY 13: Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks has opted out of the 2020 season, citing preexisting health concerns, the Cardinals announced on Monday. Hicks, who has Type 1 diabetes, is also recovering from Tommy John surgery and was expected to open the season on the injured list.

“We respect and understand Jordan’s decision to opt out this season,” president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said in a statement announcing the news. “We wish him well as he continues his recovery from elbow surgery, and we look forward to seeing Jordan back on the mound for the 2021 season.”

Hicks becomes the 13th Major League player to opt out of the 2020 season, joining a growing list that figures to have more additions between now and Opening Day. While most have been veteran players with considerable career earnings already under their belt, Hicks and White Sox hurler Michael Kopech have bucked that trend, joining Nationals righty Joe Ross as younger players on the opt-out list.

Notably, The Athletic’s Mark Saxon tweets that Type 1 diabetes is listed by MLB as a preexisting condition that would allow a player to opt out and receive service time and salary. Hicks isn’t yet arbitration-eligible, so he’ll take home a prorated salary worth only a bit more than the league minimum, but the service time he accrues this season will push him to three years — making him arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter. He won’t have much of a platform to earn a considerable raise, but that will bring him one step closer to free agency in the 2023-24 offseason, so it’s certainly of importance to both player and team.

Hicks is baseball’s hardest thrower, averaging a ridiculous 101.6 mph on his fastball prior to injury. After a solid rookie season in 2018, he looked to be elevating his game to another level in 2019, when he pitched to a 3.14 ERA with 9.7 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 0.63 HR/9 and a massive 67.2 percent ground-ball rate in 28 2/3 innings. Hicks went 14-for-15 in save opportunities last year before his injury, firmly seizing the ninth-inning job in manager Mike Shildt’s bullpen.

From a pure baseball perspective, it’s a tough loss for the Cardinals, who have also seen setup man John Brebbia undergo Tommy John surgery while top setup man Giovanny Gallegos has yet to report to Summer Camp. There’s been talk of again using Carlos Martinez as a late-inning option, though the right-hander’s preference has been to start. Mozeliak has also previously mentioned right-hander Ryan Helsley as a potential ninth-inning option in absence of Hicks.

Players Opting Out Of The 2020 Season

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Several players have already elected to opt out of the 2020 MLB season. Those players that remain under team control for future seasons, whether or not by guaranteed contracts, will simply forgo salary and service this year (unless they are considered in an at-risk class) and then step back into their remaining contract situation.

We will keep track of those players that have opted out in this post and update it if any more join the list (links to post on decision):

Lorenzo Cain, OF, Brewers

Welington Castillo, C, Nationals

Yoenis Céspedes, OF, Mets

Tim Collins, RP, Rockies

Ian Desmond, OF, Rockies

Isan Diaz, IF, Marlins

Felix Hernandez, SP, Braves

Jordan Hicks, RP, Cardinals

Michael Kopech, SP, White Sox

Mike Leake, SP, Diamondbacks

Francisco Liriano, RP, Free Agent

Nick Markakis, OF, Braves (since opted back in)

Shelby Miller, SP/RP, Brewers

Collin McHugh, SP, Red Sox

Hector Noesi, RP, Pirates

Buster Posey, C, Giants

David Price, SP, Dodgers

Joe Ross, SP, Nationals

Tyson Ross, SP, Giants (released before decision was reported)

Kohl Stewart, SP/RP, Orioles

Marcus Stroman, SP, Mets

Mark Zagunis, OF, Cubs

Ryan Zimmerman, 1B, Nationals

Charlie Blackmon Rejoins Rockies

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Outfielder Charlie Blackmon arrived at Coors Field on Monday for Summer Camp, Nick Groke of The Athletic tweets. It’s an especially notable and encouraging development after Blackmon tested positive for the coronavirus three weeks ago.

Blackmon, a four-time All-Star, explained how he’s doing and expressed hope that he’ll be in Colorado’s lineup when its season starts July 24, saying (via Thomas Harding of MLB.com): “I feel great. I have felt that way for at least a couple of weeks now. I had a day and a half of symptoms. After that I started feeling much better. I want to be ready for Opening Day. That’s a pretty short period of time.”

Of course, if the Rockies are going to pull off a surprise playoff run in 2020, it stands to reason they’ll need a healthy Blackmon. The 34-year-old turned in yet another quality offensive season in 2019, in which he slashed .314/.364/.576 (125 wRC+) with 32 home runs in 634 plate appearances to further cement himself as one of the Rockies’ most important contributors.

Aside from Matt Kemp, a recent minor league signing, Blackmon is by far the most proven outfield-capable player the Rockies have. David Dahl, Raimel Tapia, Sam Hilliard, Garrett Hampson and Yonathan Daza are also on their 40-man roster, but only the injury-plagued Dahl has fared well offensively over a large sample of major league plate appearances.

Latest On Cardinals, COVID-19

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TODAY: Cabrera, Sanchez, and Montero have all tested positive for a second time, manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).  As such, the trio will continue to remain in quarantine protocol, though all three are asymptomatic.

JULY 5: The Cardinals revealed today that minor leaguer Elehuris Montero has also tested positive for the coronavirus. Montero is the team’s third positive test, following Cabrera and Sanchez yesterday. The Cardinals are still awaiting the results of more tests. Montero, 21, was added to St. Louis’s 60-man player pool at the start of the month. One of the most promising prospects in the organization, he would surely benefit from reps in a big-league environment, especially after a disappointing season at Double-A last year.

JULY 4: Left-handers Genesis Cabrera and Ricardo Sanchez have both tested positive for COVID-19, the Cardinals announced this afternoon.  As detailed by MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters, Cabrera and Sanchez are each currently in quarantine, and both pitchers are asymptomatic.

Cabrera and Sanchez both tested positive during the club’s initial round of intake testing as players arrived in St. Louis for training camp.  They will now remain isolated for a two-week period, and will then have to be symptom-free and deliver negatives on two separate COVID-19 tests before returning to training.

Cabrera was looking to win a job in the Cards’ bullpen in the wake of his 2019 rookie season.  The southpaw’s first taste of the big leagues resulted in a 4.87 ERA, 1.73 K/BB rate, and 8.4 K/9 in 20 1/3 innings, with Cabrera starting his first two games and then working in relief during his 11 other appearances.  Acquired from the Rays in July 2018 as part of the return for Tommy Pham, Cabrera has mostly worked as a starter in the minor leagues, though he has yet to look effective even at the Triple-A level.  Cabrera’s live arm (96.3mph fastball in 2019) could make him a reliever over the long term, and while St. Louis has a number of other starters ahead of him on the depth chart, Cabrera could get the odd spot start or opener assignment depending on how the Cardinals manage their rotation in the short season.

Sanchez just joined the Cards in February after being claimed off waivers from the Mariners.  The 23-year-old has yet to reach Triple-A ball, topping out with a 4.33 ERA over 203 2/3 innings at Double-A (with the Seattle and Atlanta affiliates) in 2018-19.

Twins’ Wilfredo Tovar Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Infielder Wilfredo Tovar has tested positive for the coronavirus, Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told reporters (including MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park and Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune).  Tovar was included on Minnesota’s 60-man player pool but was training at the minor league site in St. Paul.  Tovar initially tested negative on the intake tests at the beginning of camp, but then had a positive result on a subsequent test.

There aren’t any other known cases in camp, as Miller writes that “contact tracing has produced no other positives among the squad.”  Tovar himself is asymptomatic, and will go through the mandatory procedures (two-week quarantine period, no symptoms developed, then two negative test results) before being allowed to return to camp.

Of the four other Twins players with positive COVID-19 tests on their record, Falvey said that Miguel Sano, Willians Astudillo, and Nick Gordon are all still in quarantine.  Right-hander Edwar Colina, however, has tested negative twice and is on pace to join the team in Minneapolis at some point this week.

Tovar inked a minor league contract with the Twins during the winter, looking to get another taste of the big leagues after returning to the Show in 2019.  Tovar appeared in nine games with the Mets in 2013-14 and didn’t make it back to the majors until last season, when he played in 31 games (with a .492 OPS over 88 PA) with the Angels.  In between those two big league stints, Tovar played for the Twins’ Triple-A club in 2016, and also spent time in the Cardinals’ farm system in 2017 and 2018.  Tovar was likely no more than a depth option anyway for Minnesota, though this two-week absence will erase any chance he had of making the Opening Day roster.

Kenley Jansen Reports To Dodgers Camp; Tested Positive For COVID-19

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Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen reported to camp today—as first reported by Pedro Moura of The Athletic—rejoining his team after a positive test for COVID-19 prevented him from participating in Dodgers workouts to this point. It was previously unknown why Jansen had yet to arrive at Dodger Stadium, but he confirmed today that he indeed tested positive for the virus. Evidently, he has since passed the two tests necessary to permit him to return to action.

Jansen told reporters including MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick that he expects to be ready for the Dodgers’ July 23 matchup with the Giants to kick off the season. With Opening Day less than two weeks away, that seems like an ambitious goal for a pitcher who has thus far been unable to train with his team in Spring Training 2.0, but the build-up to game shape might be less steep for a bullpen pitcher like Jansen, who’s been throwing consistently during the baseball stoppage.

Should Jansen need more to time to recover, the Dodgers’ deep bullpen should give them options to deploy in the ninth inning in place of Jansen: Joe Kelly and Blake Treinen are accomplished veteran relievers who could pick up the slack for a time.

Jansen, 32, has dealt with heart issues in the past, though he’s said that those problems have not influenced his intent to play in the shortened 2020 season. Last year was arguably Jansen’s worst season since arriving in MLB in 2010. For the better part of a decade, he was one of the most dominant relievers in the sport, though declining velocity has troubled him in recent years. As 2020 gets underway, we will cross our fingers for a healthy, bounce-back season from Jansen.

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