Several members of Diamondbacks test positive for COVID-19

It was probably inevitable, and this is also unlikely to be the last time I have to use the headline. But the team announced this afternoon that several employees, both on the playing and coaching sides, have tested positive for COVID-19, though none are currently exhibiting any symptoms. Those infected include one player on the 40-man roster, a minor league coach and several minor-league players. The team said in a statement:

“When MLB shut down all Spring Training sites last week, we opted to test more than 80 members of the organization for COVID-19 to ensure that those who had been at Salt River Fields were healthy and safe. We have followed all protocols immediately to ensure that each person who tested positive receives proper medical attention, if necessary, and that they are quarantined while making all efforts organizationally to prevent any additional spread.”

In yesterday’s conference call with the media, General Manager Mike Hazen had said that they were awaiting the results of around a hundred tests, and that two minor-league players had previously tested positive. The team is now gearing up for “spring training”, which will be split between Chase Field and Salt River Fields, and is scheduled to begin on July 3. It’s going to be a challenge, but is one which no-one seems to be taking lightly. We’ll see if it can be pulled off - especially as Arizona appears to be a major hot-spot for the virus at the present time. [H/T: Mrs. SnakePit]