Pitcher Adam Plutko calls out Cleveland teammates for breaking COVID-19 protocol

The Cleveland Indians were forced to place starting pitchers Zach Plesac and Mike Clevinger on the restricted list after the two went out in Chicago following a game against the White Sox. Adam Plutko, who started in Clevinger's place yesterday, did not mince words when speaking about the behavior of his teammates.

"They hurt us bad," Plutko said. "They lied to us. They sat here in front of you guys and publicly said things that they didn't follow through on."

Plutko calling out his fellow pitchers may seem harsh, but given the fact that two teams have already had to pause their seasons due to outbreaks, his frustration is understandable. Not only did the pitchers break protocol, but they also kept that information from the team. Clevinger even flew with the team afterward, which put everyone's health at risk.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona also addressed the carelessness of Plesac and Clevinger, though his remarks were much less pointed than what Plutko said. While he acknowledged that learning what the pitchers did "kind of hurts," he was more focused on how the team can keep something similar from happening in the future.

For their part, both Plesac and Clevinger have apologized for their behavior and issued public statements owning up to their mistakes. Clevinger said that more than going out, "the biggest mistake of all was not immediately coming clean to my teammates."

"There is no excuse for my actions, and I can only take responsibility and learn from my mistakes," Clevinger wrote.