Here’s what will happen if an MLB player or coach tests positive for COVID-19
At this point, with COVID-19 cases on the rise in many markets where MLB teams are located, it seems inevitable that players will test positive for the virus during the abbreviated 2020 season.
Some already have.
The PDF form of the 2020 MLB Operations Manual, which is 113 pages, is a thorough attempt to keep players, staff and umpires healthy. It takes into account things that most people have never considered as safety protocols during the coronavirus pandemic.
Yet, the manual can’t guarantee anything.
“The guidelines and protocols are about minimizing risk and managing the virus,” Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Wednesday. “I think we all know we aren’t going to be able to eliminate it. Everybody understands there will be some risk involved.”
So, what happens if a player, coach or other on-field personnel does test positive?
Here’s a look at what MLB is mandating:
▪ Individuals will be tested upon arrival to spring training and must quarantine until they receive the results, around 24-48 hours. They will have their temperature taken at least twice a day and are subject to testing every other day during spring training, the regular season and the postseason.
▪ They will be tested for antibodies once a month.
▪ Anyone who tests positive must self-quarantine until being cleared by a team doctor and the MLB Joint Committee. The patient can’t travel and must be treated remotely by a team doctor.
▪ A player can go on the new COVID-19 injury list indefinitely.
▪ No one can return to the team unless he: has two negative tests at least 24 hours apart, has no fever for 72 hours without using a fever suppressant, takes an antibody test, passes a cardiac test, and the doctor says the player is no longer a risk for infecting others.
If someone shows a temperature of 100.4 degrees, has any other symptoms or is exposed to anyone with COVID, he is subject to immediate testing.
▪ Anyone exposed to a COVID case must test negative, not have any symptoms, undergo regular monitoring and wear a surgical mask for seven days at all times except when on the field.
Teams will play 60 games this season. The operations manual places significant restrictions on players when on the road. Basically, they aren’t to leave their hotel except to travel to the ballpark.
It’s an honor system of sorts, but one that everyone must adhere to to maximize the Rangers’ chances of winning the World Series.
“We have dual goals here: To avoid hospitalizations and to put ourselves in position to win the World Series,” Daniels said. “I think they go hand-in-hand. We will have a code of conduct we will agree on. If somebody puts himself at risk, he is potentially putting everybody at risk.”
