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Rob Manfred Reportedly “Jumped On” Mike Rizzo Over COVID Testing Comments

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The reigning World Series champion Nationals are among the teams whose COVID-19 testing hasn’t gone smoothly in Summer Camp. The club had to cancel its workout Monday because of a delay in receiving coronavirus results, and general manager Mike Rizzo voiced his dissatisfaction with the situation.

“Without accurate and timely testing it is simply not safe for us to continue with Summer Camp,” Rizzo said, in part. “Major League Baseball needs to work quickly to resolve issues with their process and their lab. Otherwise, Summer Camp and the 2020 Season are at risk.”

Rizzo’s reaction didn’t go over well with commissioner Rob Manfred, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post reports. A source told Svrluga, “The commissioner jumped on him for that.”

While Manfred may be upset that Rizzo made his displeasure known publicly, the GM’s concerns are understandable, partially because the virus has taken such a significant toll on his club. Two of the Nationals’ players, whose identities aren’t publicly known, tested positive over the weekend, manager Dave Martinez announced (via Jessica Camerato of MLB.com). Even before then, the Nationals saw infielder Ryan Zimmerman, right-hander Joe Ross and catcher Welington Castillo opt out of playing this year on account of health-related worries. Additionally, closer Sean Doolittle – whose wife has a lung condition that puts her at higher risk of contracting the virus, and who’s not a sure bet to play this season – has expressed concern over the delay in results that the Nats have experienced.

Meanwhile, this could go down as the latest p.r. hit for Manfred, who – after months of sparring over season length with the union – implemented a 60-game schedule in June. Manfred went on to suggest last week that the league never thought playing more than 60 games in 2020 would be feasible, though he subsequently walked back those remarks.

Nationals Cancel Monday Morning Workouts Due To Testing Delays

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The Nationals have canceled their Monday morning workouts due to delays in Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 testing processes, general manager Mike Rizzo announced this morning. Rizzo issued the following statement:

Per MLB’s protocol, all players and staff were tested for Covid-19 on Friday, July 3rd. Seventy-two hours later, we have yet to receive the results of those tests. We cannot have our players and staff work at risk. Therefore, we have cancelled out team workout scheduled for this morning. We will not sacrifice the health and safety of our players, staff and their families. Without accurate and timely testing it is simply not safe for us to continue with Summer Camp. Major League Baseball needs to work quickly to resolve issues with their process and their lab. Otherwise, Summer Camp and the 2020 Season are at risk.

The Nationals are just one of several clubs experiencing delays in receiving the results of their COVID-19 intake testing. The Athletics’ test samples didn’t arrive at MLB’s lab in Salt Lake City until 1:30am MST today, Shayna Rubin of the San Jose Mercury News reported. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tweeted that testers who were assigned to the Angels and two other, yet-unknown clubs simply didn’t show over the weekend.

The Nats have already had three players — Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross and non-roster invitee Welington Castillo — opt out of playing in 2020. Closer Sean Doolittle has been outspoken about his conflicted feelings on the matter and the need for improved health-and-safety and testing protocols. Doolittle revealed yesterday that while he’s already been tested a second time, he’s still not received the results from his first test. That does not appear to have changed in the 24 hours since that revelation.

Several Teams Experiencing Testing Delays

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While most teams are already hosting full workouts and beginning to schedule intrasquad games at “summer camp,” multiple clubs are still experiencing delays in their COVID-19 test results that are preventing them from taking the field just yet. The Athletics are in a particularly frustrating spot, it seems. Shayna Rubin of the San Jose Mercury News reported last night that many of the team’s tests, incredibly, had yet to even be shipped to Major League Baseball’s lab in Salt Lake City.

Alex Coffey of The Athletic obtained a message from A’s general manager David Forst to team employees, in which he voiced considerable frustration over the lack of communication and the inexplicably delayed shipping of the team’s tests, which weren’t due to arrive at the lab for processing until 1:30am MST earlier today.

“Despite having our schedule a week ahead of time, [testing company CDT and MLB] didn’t alert us to the possibility of any complications around July 4th,” Forst wrote within a lengthier message, adding that the A’s were only made aware of the delays after he and the training staff pressed MLB and CDT for information. “…If possible, I’m as frustrated and pissed as you are.”

Perhaps more remarkably, the testers assigned to the Angels’ facility simply didn’t show up to perform tests, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). Angels players instead “did saliva tests on their own,” per the report, and it’s not clear when the tests will ultimately be processed. At least two other teams throughout the league had this issue over the weekend, Rosenthal adds.

The Nationals, too, have had their testing results delayed. Left-hander Sean Doolittle told reporters yesterday that despite being tested for a second time Sunday morning, he’d yet to even receive the results from his first test (link via Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post).

“We’ve got to clean that up, right?” Doolittle asked rhetorically. “That’s one thing that makes me a little nervous.” Doolittle added that Nationals players and staff were waiting on the N95 masks and gloves that were supposed to be delivered to the team. The left-hander praised the organization’s medical staff for their processes and protocols, but it’s clear that the Nats, like the A’s and Angels, are being impacted by significant logistical issues that have emerged in the early stages of the cobbled-together 2020 season.

All of this comes at a time when players are still debating whether to play at all in 2020. At this point, we’ve seen David Price, Felix Hernandez, Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross, Tyson Ross, Welington Castillo, Ian Desmond and Mike Leake all decline to play in 2020. Others, Doolittle included, have voiced a desire to play while also expressing their uneasiness with taking the field in an uncertain environment. Mike Trout acknowledged last week that he still doesn’t feel comfortable — and that was seemingly before the testers assigned to the Angels’ facility didn’t show.

These logistical shortcomings will be imperative to iron out if the 2020 season is to take place. Players are expected to be tested every other day, and delays in results will be all the more problematic if they occur when the season is underway. Right now, most of the Athletics’ position players simply aren’t able to begin working out at the team’s stadium. That’s a disadvantage to the Oakland organization, to be sure, but the team has been able to manage by keeping those players away from the pitchers and catchers who have reported. During the season, that won’t be possible. Efficient testing procedures will be vital for the season to not only get underway but to have any real chance at being played to completion.

At this point, the Athletics’ best-case scenario would be for their players to report tonight, per Rubin, but they could yet be delayed until Tuesday. Rosenthal notes that today’s Angels workout has already been delayed in order to ensure that testers are actually present.

Buster Posey, Sean Doolittle Discuss 2020 Season

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Buster Posey took part in the Giants’ Summer Camp workouts yesterday. Nevertheless, he was reluctant to commit to playing out the entire 2020 season in a teleconference with reporters, including Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic.

“Yeah, definitely, I think there’s still some reservation on my end as well,” Posey said, presumably in response to Mike Trout expressing some trepidation about playing out the season amidst rising coronavirus cases throughout most of the United States.

“I want to see how things progress here over the next couple weeks,” Posey continued (via Baggarly). “It would be a little bit maybe naive or silly not to gauge what’s going on around you, and not only around here but paying attention to what’s happening in different parts of the country. It’s obviously unprecedented times right now. Most definitely, I’ve thought about it and talked with my wife about it quite a bit.”

To be clear, Posey’s comments don’t suggest he’s on the verge of stepping away. As the virus continues to rage, the situation surely remains fluid for even the most optimistic players. As Posey later pointed out, the virus’ unpredictability makes it virtually impossible for anyone to unequivocally commit to finishing the season.

Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle echoed those thoughts on a conference call with reporters (including Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post) this afternoon. The southpaw indicated he’s leaning towards playing this season, but he’s by no means committing to the entire campaign just yet. “At any point, if I start to feel unsafe, if it starts to take a toll on my mental health, with all the things we have to think about and this cloud of uncertainty hanging over everything, then I’ll opt out,” Doolittle said.

Posey’s and Doolittle’s comments are the latest reminder that all players (and non-playing staff, for that matter) have far greater personal and familial concerns outside baseball. We’ve seen a handful of players and coaches, most notably David Price, decide to sit out this season. Even players who’ve already reported to their respective teams could (and, needless to say, have every right to) reverse course and opt out of playing in 2020. Braves right-hander Félix Hernández, in fact, did exactly that last night.

Nationals Notes: Kieboom To Start At Third, Denaburg Out, Cavalli In

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Speaking to a handful of DMV-area reporters, Nationals’ manager Davey Martinez said that he expects Carter Kieboom to be the starting third baseman, MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, and Todd Dybas of NBC Sports were among those reporting. It’s a bit of a surprising revelation from Martinez, as last we heard, Kieboom wasn’t even a sure thing to make the Opening Day roster. At the same time, most projections had the 22-year-old making his play for the hot corner by August, surely, so it might be that not much has changed in terms of organizational outlook. More on this and the other goings-on around Nats’ camp…

  • One change that might have affected the Nats’ plan for Kieboom, however, was Ryan Zimmerman opting out for the season. Without Zimmerman, there seems to be plenty of at-bats to go around the remaining veteran contingent of Nationals’ infielders. First base should fall to a strict platoon between Howie Kendrick and Eric Thames, while the off-day first baseman is also likely to split time at DH with Asdrubal Cabrera. Starlin Castro, then, would handle second base relatively full-time while occasionally being spelled by either Cabrera or Kendrick. The Nationals tend to let their prospects play full time, so if Kieboom keeps the starting role through Opening Day, he’s likely to get more-or-less the full slate of 60 games to prove he deserves it.
  • Updating some numbers for us, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post mentions that the Nationals have about 49-50 guys in camp right now of the 58 currently named to the player pool. That said, the Nats’ are widely expected to add first-round pick Cade Cavalli to their 60-man player pool shortly, per TalkNats. The Nats have a few open spots on their roster now that a number of players have opted out for the season (Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross, Welington Castillo).
  • As the Cavalli addition presupposes, the Nats have chosen to include most of the organization’s highest-regarded prospects in the 60-man player pool. That group would have included Mason Denaburg, were he not out for the season recovering from offseason surgery, per Stephen G. Mears of TalkNats. The 6’4″ former catcher ranks eighth on the Nats’ top prospect list per Baseball America. He was the Nats’ top draft choice in 2018, though he’s managed just 20 1/3 innings of pro ball since then.

Welington Castillo Opts Out Of 2020 Season

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Veteran catcher Welington Castillo has opted out of the 2020 season, Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters Friday (Twitter link via the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty). Castillo inked a minor league contract with the Nationals back in January and was originally announced as part of the team’s 60-man player pool. However, it appears he’ll opt not to play during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Castillo likely wouldn’t have opened the year in the Majors, barring an injury to Yan Gomes or Kurt Suzuki, but as a 10-year Major League veteran, he was quite likely the first line of defense should either Gomes or Suzuki need to miss time. With Castillo forgoing the season, he won’t be paid and won’t accrue service time. Catchers Raudy Read, Tres Barrera and Jakson Reetz are all still in the Nationals’ 60-man pool.

The 33-year-old Castillo wrapped up a two-year deal with the White Sox last year. Chicago inked him at a $15.5MM total over two years, and while he hit reasonably well in limited action in 2018 (.259/.304/.406), his 2019 season was the worst of his career at the plate. In 251 plate appearances, Castillo mustered just a .209/.267/.417 slash.

Castillo becomes the third member of the Nationals organization to sit out the 2020 season, joining first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and right-hander Joe Ross. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end and likely return to the open market in search of another minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training. In 2701 career plate appearances, Castillo is a .254/.313/.426 hitter with 98 home runs.

Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross Opt Out Of 2020 Season

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Neither Ryan Zimmerman nor Joe Ross will suit up to play for the Nationals in 2020, according to respective reports from Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. The D.C. pair joins Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake among the first of what figure to be many players choosing not to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross have decided not to participate in the 2020 season for the personal health and safety of themselves and their loved ones,” general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed in a statement. “We are one hundred percent supportive of their decision not to play this year. We will miss their presence in the clubhouse and their contributions on the field.”

Zimmerman outlined his reasoning last week in a guest piece for the Associated Press, candidly discussing his concern with having a newborn daughter and a mother who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Those understandable family concerns have prompted Zimmerman to forgo the year of service time and the prorated $2MM salary he’d have collected in 2020 had he indeed played. Zimmerman released the following statement today, via his agents at CAA Baseball:

After a great deal of thought and given my family circumstances — three young children, including a newborn, and a mother at high risk — I have decided not to participate in the 2020 season. Everyone knows how much it means to me to be a part of a team, and I will miss that camaraderie dearly this year. Of course I would love to pursue back-to-back titles. I cannot speak for anyone else, but given the unusual nature of the season, this is the best decision for me and my family, and I truly appreciate the organization’s understanding and support. To be clear, I am not retiring at this time. I have not decided on my future in baseball past 2020. But this year, I’ll be staying safe at home and pulling as hard as anyone for the guys to defend our championship.

Zimmerman likely wouldn’t have been the everyday lineup cornerstone that he’s been for much of his career in D.C., but the 35-year-old was in line to serve as a part-time first baseman and (under this year’s altered rules) designated hitter. His decision to sit out should lead to more at-bats for both Howie Kendrick and Eric Thames, among others.

As for Ross, his decision was surely difficult. Not yet established as a surefire big league starter, he was in line to serve as the Nationals’ fifth starter. Playing out the 2020 season would’ve given the 27-year-old Ross a share of a prorated $1.5MM salary and pushed him north of five years of MLB service, bringing him within a year of free agency. Now, unless Ross himself has been deemed a high-risk player by team medical personnel, he’ll waive both that salary and service time. That can’t be an easy decision to make, and it serves as a reminder of the concerns that many players harbor — particularly if they live with or are in close proximity to at-risk loved ones.

With Ross now on the sidelines for the season, it’s likely that right-handers Austin Voth (profiled here as an intriguing rotation candidate himself earlier this spring) and Erick Fedde will get a look at the back of the rotation behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez.

Nationals Announce Initial 60-Man Player Pool

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Today marks the deadline for teams to submit to Major League Baseball their initial spring training player pools, which can comprise up to 60 players. Players are not eligible to participate in either a spring training or regular season game until they are included in the pool. Teams are free to change the makeup of the pools as they see fit. However, players removed from a team’s 60-man (for reasons unrelated to injury, suspension, etc.) must be exposed to other organizations via trade or waivers.

Not all players within a team’s pool are ticketed for MLB playing time, of course. Most teams will include well-regarded but still far-off prospects as a means of getting them training reps with no intention of running them onto a major league diamond this season. A comprehensive review of 2020’s unique set of rules can be found here.

The Nationals’ initial player pool consists of the following players.

Right-handed pitchers

Left-handed pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Mid-Atlantic Notes: Orioles, Mountcastle, Diaz, Nationals

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Keegan Akin, Ryan Mountcastle, Dean Kremer, and Bruce Zimmermann weren’t expected to make the Opening Day roster for the Baltimore Orioles, but with the first baseball of the season on the horizon, the Orioles have the chance to reevaluate, per MASN’s Roch Kubatko. The Orioles will have to balance service time concerns and the fear of rushing youngsters into an uncertain landscape with the stark fact that the game’s highest level is the only level available for competitive play this season. Prospects can continue to work out, either independently or as part of the 60-man extended rosters, but to get game reps, the majors is the only game in town. Mountcastle, coming off a .312/.344/.527 season in Triple-A, could find himself on the major-league roster, even if the Orioles would prefer – in a vacuum – to allow him more development time elsewhere.

  • Yusniel Diaz presents a similarly interesting case for the O’s, per Kubatko. Like Mountcastle, Diaz was expected to make his ML-debut at some point, but unlike Mountcastle, the Cuban outfielder has yet to appear higher than Double-A. Should they choose a more judicious approach, Baltimore can certainly make do with Anthony Santander, D.J. Stewart, Austin Hays, and Dwight Smith Jr. in the outfield. Still, every decision for the Orioles has to be made with the future in mind, and they’ll have to decide whether exposing someone like Diaz to major league pitching earlier than planned will benefit his long-term development. With Trey Mancini out for the year, there are plenty of at-bats to go around for corner outfield candidates.
  • Elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic, if the Nationals can lean on their big four in the rotation as they did in last year’s postseason, everything should be hunky-dory for the champs, per Byron Kerr of MASN. Of course, Manager Davey Martinez put those boys through a grind last October, with Patrick Corbin pushed to the limit as a swingman, and Max Scherzer’s shoulder barely holding up long enough to get through game seven of the World Series in Houston. The long layoff should help Scherzer, Corbin, Stephen Strasburg, and Anibal Sanchez avoid a World Series hangover, but the bullpen looks stronger as well. They’ll get a full season from Daniel Hudson, won’t have to lean as hard on Sean Doolittle, and Will Harris joins the team from Houston to shore up the backend. Doolittle has been one of the more vocal ballplayers during the pandemic, but as of now, no Nats have decided to sit out the season.

Ryan Zimmerman: “I’m Still Deciding Whether To Play”

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As most players prepare to report to summer training camp, longtime Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman writes in a guest piece for the Associated Press that he’s “still deciding whether to play” in 2020. Like many players throughout the league, while he’s not personally a high-risk patient in the event of a positive COVID-19 test, he has loved ones who are of greater concern. Writes Zimmerman:

When it comes down to it, it’s a decision not just for me, but for my family as well. I have a 3-week-old baby. My mother has multiple sclerosis and is super high-risk; if I end up playing, I can pretty much throw out the idea of seeing her until weeks after the season is over.

Under the health and safety protocols laid out by Major League Baseball and agreed to by the Players Association, Zimmerman wouldn’t receive service time or be paid, should he choose to opt out. Only players who are high-risk cases themselves, as determined by team medical personnel, are eligible for that benefit.

Zimmerman will be far from the only player making a decision of this nature in the coming days. High-risk individuals exist throughout the league, be it due to recent battles with cancer, preexisting respiratory conditions or any number of other risk-increasing conditions. The number of players with such risks is surely higher than most are aware of, and the number of players with concerns more in line with Zimmerman is even greater yet. There will very likely be some players who opt not to play in 2020, and Zimmerman provides a candid and thoughtful look at the factors he’s weighing in a piece that’s well worth a full read.

This past offseason, Zimmerman inked a one-year, $2MM contract to return to the Nationals for what would his 16th season with the only franchise he’s ever known. Foot injuries limited him to just 52 games in 2019 and likely impacted his performance at the plate, but he batted a combined .289/.350/.542 in 899 plate appearances from 2017-18.

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