Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black, first base coach Ron Gideon and four players were unavailable for Friday’s home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to COVID-19 reasons, but the clubs still planned to play.
Right-handed pitchers Antonio Senzatela, Yency almonte Y Jhoulys Chacín and the gardener Yonathan daza joined the COVID-19 IL. The team said Black and Gideon were unavailable due to contact tracing protocols.
Rockies bench coach Mike Redmond will coach Colorado while Black is out, and Major League Baseball game planning and data coordinator Doug Bernier will be the first base coach. The club promoted left-handers Ben Bowden and Zac Rosscup, right-hander Antonio Santos and outfielder Sam Hilliard. The Rockies are among the teams that achieved 85% vaccinations.
The virus spike comes as the Rockies come from the All-Star Game, which they hosted on Tuesday.
It’s a step back for Major League Baseball, which hadn’t postponed a game due to virus concerns in nearly three months.
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who started the American League All-Star Game, was one of six players on that team who has also been placed with COVID IL since Tuesday. That move raised concerns about a possible spread at the Midsummer Classic.
MLB was conducting contact tracing per their protocols, and no other COVID-19-related postponements were announced in the league with all teams set to play Friday night. None of the Rockies players added to COVID IL were All-Stars.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who led the National League team, said Los Angeles players and staff have gone through two rounds of testing. They all tested negative before Friday’s game against the Rockies in Denver.
“It is what it is, I just have to stick with what they ask,” Roberts said. “I was hoping that we were over it, but unfortunately we have not made it.”
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