:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69283467/usa_today_15886400.0.jpg)
The hits keep on coming with the Yankees’ recent weird COVID-19 outbreak. After being held out of Wednesday night’s game as a precaution, the team announced that shortstop Gleyber Torres tested positive for coronavirus this afternoon. He will be placed on the special COVID-19 injured list, and the Yankees recalled recently-demoted utility man Miguel Andújar from Triple-A to take his spot for tonight’s game against the Rays. Since this is a positive test rather than symptoms, Torres might need to be on the shelf for at least 10 days, but since he was vaccinated and asymptomatic, that may not be the case. We’ll see.
The whole situation continues to be strange. It began with third-base coach Phil Nevin on Tuesday, extended to first-base coach Reggie Willits and a support staff member that night, and reached pitching coach Matt Blake and three more members of the support staff on Wednesday. Now, it’s hit the Yankees’ player personnel. Torres even had COVID-19 back in December, so he’s been reinfected (though, again, he is thankfully asymptomatic).
It is worth noting that the CDC warned that reinfections were possible, as of course were “breakthrough cases” where folks who were vaccinated — as Torres, the coaches, and support staff all were — would catch it anyway. Nonetheless, it is unusual that the team has had this many positive tests at once whereas most other teams have been fine. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Wil Myers both tested positive on the Padres, but as my math expertise tells me, the number “eight” is a lot bigger than the number “two.”
On Wednesday night, all but one of the seven COVID-positive staff members were asymptomatic, and today, Aaron Boone said that the one who wasn’t (Nevin) is now asymptomatic, so I’ll take that as positive news about the vaccine’s effects. The rest of the Yankees’ traveling party also underwent further tests today and all came up negative.
Hopefully, this situation gets better before it gets worse, but for now, all we can do is hope that it passes without further incident and that everyone affected remains in good health.