Baseball's return has not been kind to the Yankees, and the games haven't even started yet.
The Bronx Bombers received another blow, Saturday when word came down that closer Aroldis Chapman has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has mild symptoms. Manager Aaron Boone says that Chapman will be away for the team for an undisclosed period of time.
Chapman is now the third Yankee to test positive for the virus, the others being 2019 team MVP DJ LeMahieu and reliever Luis Cessa. Who knows how many others on the team potentially have been exposed to the virus since Chapman worked out with his teammates just days earlier.
Add the COVID issues to the injury concerns such as Aaron Judge returning from rib and shoulder surgery and pitcher Mashairo Tanaka dealing with a concussion after taking a 112 mph lined shot from the bat of Giancarlo Statnton off of his head.
The COVID news is both sobering and scary. The Yankees are one of ten teams to have players test positive for the virus, and many teams are struggling to manage workouts. The Astros, Phillies and A's have had to cancel workouts due to either positive cases, or the lack of information on COVID-19 testing. Royals Cam Gallagher also tested positive for Kansas City desipite playing in an intersquad game.
On top of that several players and coaches from around Major League Baseball are opting out of the 2020 season, citing family concerns. Angels star Mike Trout and Phillies star Bryce Harper have also expressed contrition with playing amid a global pandemic.
There is no telling how long baseball can keep this going without accepting the fact that playing games, and allowing teams to travel across the country is just too risky. The season should be canceled. It's a fairly easy decision in the eyes of independent observers.
It's easy to sit here and analyze how this latest "injury news" is going to affect the Yankees on the field, and it will. Zach Britton will have to slot into the closer's role until Chapman gets back. But it just doesn't seem fair to even make that a conversation point. The facts are it should never have come to this. Baseball should never have allowed its players to be exposed in this way to a virus that continues to spread with no sign of stopping.
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