Texas Rangers All-Star Joey Gallo tests positive for COVID-19
Joey Gallo has no symptoms of COVID-19, and he and the Texas Rangers hope it stays that way.
But the All-Star has tested positive twice in the past 10 days despite being asymptomatic, and is out indefinitely from summer camp. The Rangers, though, expect their right fielder and best player to be ready for the start of the 2020 MLB season, which is still expected to begin July 24.
General manager Jon Daniels said that Gallo waived his HIPAA rights, allowing the team to announce his positive test and reveal a timeline to outline his unexplained absence from the first three days of workouts.
In between the two positive MLB-mandated saliva tests, Gallo actually tested negative via a nasal-swab test.
“Our mindset going into this was it’s not a matter if guys tested positive but when,” Daniels said. “Obviously, this thing doesn’t discriminate whether it’s a star player or somebody trying to make the club.
“The key thing for us is Joey is asymptomatic and feels good. Based on that and some other experiences, we have read about or been told about, he should be good to go once he is cleared, assuming and hoping he doesn’t develop any symptoms as we go.”
Gallo is the second player known to test positive, joining left-handed reliever Brett Martin. First baseman Ronald Guzman remains in the pre-camp intake process and can’t work out, but he can be at the ballpark.
None of the players who worked out with Gallo during the shutdown at Globe Life Field have tested positive, Daniels said. “So, I feel pretty good about that part.”
Gallo’s first saliva test was June 27, and it was returned as a positive June 29. He under went a nasal test June 30, which came back negative Thursday. The Rangers waited two days before follow-up saliva test, which came back negative Sunday.
Because the initial positive was 10 days ago, the Rangers are hopeful that Gallo is close to being cleared. He must have two negative tests with 24 hours between samples before he can return.
Daniels said that Gallo can put himself through light activities while isolated, though nothing too demanding cardiovascularly. The work Gallo did during the shutdown, including taking live batting practice from the likes of Jose Leclerc, Taylor Hearn and Cody Allen, will help once he is cleared.
But there will be some areas while Gallo will need to play catch-up.
“Seeing live pitching, getting used to game speed again and just some of the start-and-stop base running and in the outfield, those will be some things we’ll want to make sure that we prepare him for so he’s not at risk for a soft tissue injury,” Daniels said.
The Rangers haven’t run into similar testing delays as other clubs across MLB. Daniels said that the team started its testing as early as was permitted in the hopes of running into a backlog at the MLB lab in Salt Lake City.
The final players tested were those who came last week from Latin America.
MLB said that as of Monday afternoon, 95% of intake testing had been completed.
This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 1:04 PM.
