The Giants have informed reporters, including Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, that Mike Yastrzemski has tested positive for COVID-19. The club doesn’t have time to bring in anyone else as a corresponding move before Sunday’s game, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Baggarly adds that Yastrzemski had a sore throat Saturday and tested positive Sunday, even though he was feeling better.
Under the league’s 2022 health and safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, but it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician).
With Yaz on the shelf, this will add to the challenges the Giants are facing in the outfield. LaMonte Wade Jr. has yet to make his 2022 debut due to a bone bruise in his left knee, but he’s not terribly far away as he did begin a rehab assignment Saturday night. Steven Duggar was placed on the 60-day IL on Friday, meaning he won’t be an option until late June at the earliest. That means the Giants will have an outfield mix of Joc Pederson, Luis Gonzalez, Darin Ruf, Austin Slater and Mauricio Dubon, at least until Yaz and/or Wade can return.
The club will be able to make a corresponding move before their next game, which could help the outfield depth. However, the pitching staff is also a bit short-handed right now, as both Alex Cobb and Anthony DeSclafani are currently on the injured list. That means the Giants may need Yaz’s roster spot for a fresh arm instead of another outfielder.
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