Yankees Minor Leaguers to Reportedly Be Quarantined After Positive Coronavirus Case Within System
By Sean Facey
The New York Yankees aren't messing around with their recent coronavirus scare.
After one of their minor leaguers tested positive for COVID-19, the organization has now reportedly made the decision to quarantine all of their minor league players for the next two weeks.
Starting today, all #Yankees minor leaguers will be quarantined for two weeks, sources tell me and @LindseyAdler. Food will be delivered to them at their hotel rooms. Team learned earlier that a NYY minor leaguer tested positive for COVID-19.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 15, 2020
Players will have to stay in their respective hotel rooms until they're given the go-ahead to leave. They'll even have their meals delivered to them while they're under quarantine.
While it might seem drastic, it's definitely a smart move. The best way to stop the spread of the virus between players is to simply shut things down for a bit and eliminate possible opportunities for infection.
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
The coronavirus case also makes the Yankees major league players' decision to stay down in Tampa Bay to continue their Spring Training regimen that much more questionable. MLB gave the players the chance to leave, but they chose to stay, and now they run the risk of getting infected.
Hopefully the massive quarantine effort helps the case remain isolated and no other players end up contracting the virus.