The Cincinnati Reds have made some roster moves this morning. The team just announced that first baseman Joey Votto has been placed on the injured list (no reason specified) and that they’ve activated right-handed pitcher Anthony DeSclafani from the 10-day injured list.
Worth noting that the release from the Reds does not say that they placed Joey Votto on the 10-day injured list. That is an important designation because in 2020 things are weird and there’s an injured list and a 10-day injured list and they are very different. The 10-day injured list is because of an actual injury and one that requires a 10-day stay (or longer) before a player can be activated. The injured list, though, is different and seems to be for COVID-19 related, or possibly related issues. Mike Moustakas, for example, was placed on the injured list last week when he woke up feeling sick. He never tested positive for COVID-19 and was able to return in four days.
Joey Votto has not tested positive for COVID-19, but did report symptoms to the Reds according to Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer, as told through John Fay.
Bobby Nightengale reports that Votto reported symptoms to the #Reds but has not tested positive for COVID 19, according to a source.
— John Fay (@johnfayman) August 2, 2020
Anthony DeSclafani will be joining the rotation now that he’s back. The right-handed starter missed his first start on the season, but was expected to return the second time through the rotation and that time is now. He is set to start the first game of the Reds vs Tigers doubleheader today.
Yes. A player who has reported symptoms, even if they never tested positive, must have 2 MLB sanctioned tests come back as negative that were taken at least 24 hours apart. So Votto’s going to miss at least 3 games even if he doesn’t have COVID-19.
I wonder what symptoms are involved. Many COVID symptoms are extremely common to other ailments.
In our local school system, even allergy symptoms are enough to force a child to stay home from school, even though runny nose, sneezing, etc. aren’t even official COVID symptoms.
I know, abundance of caution. But sometimes the abundance bleeds into overabundance.
I too was confused why one hit the injured list but not the other. It could have been the symptoms themselves. Moustakas reportedly seems to think his issue was food poisoning, but would certainly lead to a different set of symptoms than “runny nose and a headache” for example.
Sounds like JVM and Davidson at 1B today rather than Casto.
Things that make you go “Hmmmm” …
I totally agree. I love the game like the next guy but dying is not worth the money. Don’t play until it’s safe.
+10K … people should very much pay attention to stuff like this. I have a former colleague who got it and still struggles with breath capacity months after he was “cured”. Makes me recall my post-pneumonia quest to rebuild lung capacity. Add multiple other challenges and I would not be surprised for a guy like Joey to take stock and take a break for the year.
It’s riskier because there are 30-40-50 people in a traveling party who are interacting with more people than they otherwise would, and in plenty of cases doing so indoors in tight quarters (clubhouse – see Anthony Rizzo’s complaint last week, buses, planes). Those things make it more risky for the individual and the group. And they aren’t things that would be happening if the guys were at home. Not to mention all of the people who aren’t players who have to be there, too.
Yes, the players signed up. That’s got absolutely nothing at all to do with risks that are there versus “staying at home and not playing”.
But also ignores all of the team staff that didn’t actually vote or sign up, but if they want a job they get to be participants.
Life involves risk, some risks we are comfortable with (driving a car, catching a cold, unique workplace issues). Others we are not. This may fall for lots of people in the second category.
i can’t work up alot of worry over the players in MLB not getting hazard pay when other folks are out of work, or have had business go under because of all of this. They opt-out they still get paid. If they were really concerned they’d donate 10% of their salary to help pay the MiLB players (through the union), concession vendors, and other seasonal employees of the ML and MiL teams, who’s real livelyhood is impacted.
That all being said, I hope its just JDV being careful and looking out for his and the teams interests.
This argument falls flat for me for a lot of reasons.
First, just because the rest of us are getting screwed over in this pandemic doesn’t mean we shouldn’t feel for those who are just being screwed over a little bit less.
Second, they only get paid if they are high risk and opt out. Simply choosing to opt out does not get you paid (it does get you service time, though).
The players association DID donate money to help out the gameday staff who isn’t there. Some players have also donated money to help take care of minor leaguers (both on individual basis, and as a part of other organizations).
And yes, while life involves risks, those risks aren’t exactly contagious and deadly.
I think the rising case counts in Ohio are pretty clear evidence that our job is not “done”, Old-School. I work in a larger bar in Cincinnati, and I can tell you firsthand that a huge number of people are not doing their “jobs” despite the comprehensive guidance given to them by the state, city, and our establishment. I have friends in their 30’s that have had it and have had ER visits or worse. It’s not just nursing home residents.
As much as my coworkers and I had a hard time in the first shutdown, most all of us think that we shouldn’t be open right now. I’m really enjoying baseball being back, but I also think shutting down as much activity as we can is probably the best course of action. It seems to have worked for a lot of other countries.
It struck me the other day that the US has lost more than twice as many people in 5 months than we did over the course of the entire Vietnam War. If shutting down baseball helps stop that, or lessens the impact, I don’t think I could come up with an argument why we shouldn’t. I’ll enjoy it while it’s here, but I’m increasingly convinced it’s not the right course of action for our society as a whole, much less for the players and employees directly affected.
I’d be shocked if the high-risk part of opting out isn’t broad enough to cover many situations. Which is fine, not putting that down in the least.
The players do have a union Doug, so if they are not happy with how this played out for them, then they should elect new leadership. It is that simple.
so in the end, if they want to opt-out, find a reason and do it. I wouldn’t fault JDV or anyone else for doing so.
But there are many health problems people have not been able to address because of the situation (including some of my own family), so we have to pick. Do we go and treat people for what they have, or what they might or might not get. And even if they do get ‘it’, Odds are in your favor that one will pull through.
A vaccine is still months away, and may not prove widely effective, or may only be partially effective (like the flu vaccine). Covid is real, but so is the socio-economic damage along with other illnesses and conditions.
Sports, entertainment, and other leisure activities do provide a mental health benefit to our society and having them go away until it’s perfectly safe will not be a net positive either. Especially since perfectly safe is a mirage anyway.
Wondering today, watching the game, if it wouldn’t help to force players and staff to wear batting gloves while on the bench. They have an unlimited supply of them on the bench. They could be thrown away at the end of the game a create a lot more hygiene from high fives and other bare skin contacts
The virus isn’t going away soon. Shutting down life the first time was to lower the curve as no one knew what to expect. The rest of the world doesn’t have a handle it they just mandate people not to live still. I have no real answers but there is risk in life and we see the Covid risk before our eyes where all other risks in life we do not. There will be death unfortunately keep away from the elderly and people who are health compromised in a real way. Individuals need to manage their risks and keep as safe as possible. What sports is proving to us is this virus is very real as people related to athletes of any kind over some Florida beach goer.
Case in point …
I had a crown pop off last week and went in to get it dealt with. My dentist said damage due to teeth grinding is up 30% over normal based on what the dental associations are reporting. That’s a LOT of stress and anxiety represented.
+100,000
Absolutely correct.