Houston Astros placed second baseman Jose Altuve, third baseman Alex Bregman, designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, catcher Martin Maldonado and backup quarterback Robel Garcia on the injured list “as a result of health and safety protocols.” , CEO James Click said on Wednesday.
Click said it could not say whether a player tested positive for COVID-19 or was exposed to someone who did. He said that the duration of each player’s absence will be determined by the contact tests that are performed.
He also said that the movements are not a function of the players who violate the COVID-19 protocols.
“Absolutely not. The boys were extremely vigilant to make sure that at the stadium, away from the stadium, they followed the rules,” Click told reporters. “I think this is just another reflection of the situation we are in, not only in baseball, but also in the country.”
Astros, who is not at the 85% vaccination threshold to weaken the team’s protocols, said they do not know about the need to make these moves until after Tuesday’s match. All other players on the team will go through increased tests and all coaches and staff have been allowed to continue working.
In the appropriate moves, Astros called him Taylor Taylor, Garrett Stubbs, Abraham Toro, Alex De Goti and Ronnie Dawson from the alternate training ground. .
All five players are expected to arrive in time for Wednesday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park.
Click said MLB did not believe there was a health reason for not playing Wednesday’s game, “so we’re starting to play the game.”
Astros lost four in a row after a 6-1 start and now have to play without four members of their starting lineup.
“When it rains, it spills,” Click said. “It’s a difficult situation, but we can’t let that distract us from winning this game.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.