Yankees Minor Leaguer Reportedly Tests Positive for Coronavirus in First Confirmed Case in Baseball
Concerns over COVID-19 have spiked across the United States in recent days. While players across the sports world beginning to test positive for coronavirus, the disease was yet to reach baseball. Until now.
According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, an unidentified player in the New York Yankees farm system has tested positive. It's the first confirmed case in either the minors or the majors.
A minor league player in the New York Yankees system has tested positive for coronavirus, sources tell ESPN. He is the first known case in baseball. He was quarantined Friday morning after saying he was running a fever.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 15, 2020
As Passan states, the unknown player revealed earlier this week he had a fever, and took the precautionary step to quarantine himself. Unfortunately for him and the Yankees, fears were realized with the positive test.
The pandemic was formally brought to light in the American sports world when Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert was first diagnosed, bringing a halt to the NBA season. Since then, teammate Donovan Mitchell and Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood have also tested positive.
For the Yankees, the team is currently down in Tampa working out at its Spring Training complex. With the latest news to arrive to the organization, things could certainly change at any moment.
The Yankees player who tested positive for coronavirus was only on the minor league side of the team's facility in Tampa. Still, as we're learning about coronavirus' ability to spread, that distance alone does not necessarily protect those who are nearby from contracting it.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 15, 2020
For Aaron Boone and Co., it'd be wise to get everyone tested quarantined as soon as possible before the virus has additional opportunities to spread. At this time, public health and safety must be placed above all else.