Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, a cancer survivor, says he's comfortable playing amid the pandemic

CHICAGO — A slimmed-down Anthony Rizzo said there might be levels of trepidation as he and his Cubs teammates returned Friday to Wrigley Field for a three-week summer training session.

But Rizzo, a cancer survivor, spoke confidently about his decision to play with the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc worldwide.

“As far as my body and the immune system, everything is up to par, if not stronger than when I was 18,” said Rizzo, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2008.

Rizzo said his oncologist contacted him soon after the coronavirus shut down spring training March 12, and he stressed that the first baseman be diligent in washing his hands and wearing a face mask. Rizzo said he receives an annual checkup from his oncologist and the Cubs.

“And technically, I’m cured.” Rizzo said.

Prior to Rizzo’s conference call, manager David Ross said he expected all his players to participate in their first formal workout since they played their last exhibition game March 11 prior to the shutdown caused by the virus.

Ross made his comments before Major League Baseball announced that only 1.2% of the league’s 3,185 players and staff members tested positive for the coronavirus prior to their first workout.

Nevertheless, Rizzo and Ian Happ were moved by a speech by pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, who recently recovered from COVID-19, during a team meeting.

“And it’s awesome for him to share his story with us,” Rizzo said. “There’s a lot of people, unfortunately, who have gotten this and weren’t able to tell the story and weren’t able to see their families for one last time. And it’s unfortunate, and you can’t take days for granted.”

Happ saw Hottovy’s struggles firsthand in pitchers’ conference calls involving his spring training roommate, Dakota Mekkes.

“You kind of got to walk the journey with Tommy little a bit and check in on him as he was going through it,” Happ said. “Just his experience and story is incredible.”

Rizzo said the next three weeks would present a challenge to him and his teammates with 39 players in camp and with plenty of protocols and warnings surrounding them that could create “some anxiety.”

“I think that with the emotions in this game that come, there’s going to be slip-ups,” said Rizzo, referring to hugs and high-fives. “There’s going to be emotions that come into this game where it’s just a 60-game sprint.”

Rizzo said he was delighted to return to Wrigley and enjoyed the view from the right-field corner where the team meeting was conducted. The outfield ivy was in full bloom. Music played in front of the dugout, but that was occasionally offset by the crack of the bat and the loud thuds as Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Rizzo launched homers during a batting practice session in a virtually empty ballpark.

“(Rizzo) looks absolutely wonderful,” Happ said. “I don’t want to oversell it. But his pop right now, he’s very strong.”

The 6-foot-3 Rizzo didn’t appear to lose any strength after shedding 25 pounds from his 240-pound frame thanks to a program led by coach Mike Napoli in Florida during the shutdown.

“I looked myself in the mirror when I got home (from spring training), and I told (wife) Emily I’m either going to gain 50 pounds or I’m going get back into amazing shape,” said Rizzo, who said he worked out six days a week with Napoli.

Rizzo said he was dismayed by negotiations between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players’ Association that resulted in a 60-game schedule and a likely grievance filed by the MLBPA.

“I think it’s just flat-out embarrassing for me to be searching through Twitter and seeing the updates, because that’s how fast they got out there,” Rizzo said.

“There were a lot of leaks on the major-league side. It seems like there were leaks whenever we sent in a proposal to the point where it’s just kind of turned into a joke with the media battle. With such a strong game and a rich history, I would hope to see in the future that we can keep things internal because I just think that what we’re going through a pandemic like this, and you have the billionaires fight with the millionaires is not a good look.”

Although that acrimony could return with the collective bargaining agreement to expire at the end of 2021, Rizzo said returning to the field could “capture a new fan base.”

“Give us enough time,” he said.

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