Gleyber Torres eighth Yankee to test positive for coronavirus

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Yankees strange coronavirus outbreak continued Thursday with the team admitting they are dealing with an “aggressive variant” of COVID-19. They also confirmed Gleyber Torres is their eighth confirmed case of breakthrough COVID-19 and the first player.

The shortstop received a vaccination and also had antibodies from contracting COVID-19 over the offseason, so the team, baseball and now the Centers for Disease Control are trying to figure out what is going on. GM Brian Cashman confirmed the CDC, through MLB, has been looking at the situation and the team is working through the league and New York State Department of Health.

“Certainly unexpected,” Aaron Boone said. “Obviously, I think everyone in Major League Baseball, everyone that’s in charge of the testing is obviously looking into that, and the variants that could be out there, if that is indeed the case.

“So we’re just trying to do as best we can, to keep our guys healthy, safe and the people we’re surrounded with,” the Yankees manager continued. “Just trying to do the best we can as things continue to trickle in.”

Boone said Torres was asymptomatic, as was all eight of the Yankees’ cases in the traveling party. Only one case presented with symptoms and that has cleared up. All eight received the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine, the Yankees said.

While breakthrough cases were expected and are being tracked by the CDC, they were believed to be rare. The Yankees high profile cases have become so notable that Thursday afternoon CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH was asked about it at a White House briefing.

“With regard to the Yankees, we obviously need to learn more about that situation,” she said in a televised briefing. “My understanding is that six of the seven infections were indeed asymptomatic infections and we will look to more data from that report to understand what happened there. All of the real world data we’ve seen that’s been in the published literature, large studies, in many different settings, have demonstrated that those vaccines have a high effectiveness against disease.”

Cashman said the Yankees will be as transparent as they legally can be and described the situation as a “case study.” He also echoed what Boone and several players have said in defending the vaccine, pointing to the fact that none of the cases are severe.

“We can take great comfort, thankfully, that all who were vaccinated with the J&J shot — provided from two different states, the one batch in New York, the other batch in Florida, in various different times, one in March versus,obviously earlier in April — we believe it created a nice protection,” Cashman said. “You’re not protected from obviously getting it, but protected from something severe or something much more difficult to handle than we currently are. So, for that we’re thankful.”

He also said they are seeing the vaccine work in the fact the outbreak has been contained. Cashman said Thursday was the first day the Yankees got back their 24-hour saliva COVID-19 tests and they were completely negative. MLB and the Yankees were comfortable going forward with Thursday night’s game against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

MLB postponed 45 games last season and seven this year because of outbreaks. The league, this time, thought because the Yankees had such a high rate of vaccination it helped contain the spread and effects on those who test positive.

Boone said it was his understanding that because they had such a high percentage of their travelling party vaccinated that the league was comfortable proceeding with the games during this outbreak without fear of more spread.

That’ the Rays’ understanding as well.

“I think if this was last year, it would be like a canceled game without any questions,” Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow said. “I think they have a good grip on what’s going on. From what I know no one from our team has tested positive or anything, so there’s definitely separation from their side.”

Still, it rocked the Yankees over the last several days, beginning with the first positive test of third base coach Phil Nevin on Sunday night. He was joined by first base coach Reggie Willits and pitching coach Matt Blake. Four unnamed support staffers are also confirmed cases and in quarantine.

“I was certainly taken aback, especially because, through the peak of times, we were able to avoid that,” Boone said of avoiding an outbreak last season during the height of the pandemic. “So all of a sudden, you kind of think you’re starting to move out of the woods and it hits you, and then it gets you again and again, it definitely makes you take a step back and knocks you back a little bit.

“It is what it is,” Boone said. “We’re just trying as best we can to work with everyone and try and get our arms around it or edge around it and do the best we can to make sure we not only keep ourselves safe and safe and healthy, but the people we come in contact with as well.”

Torres was placed on the COVID-19 list and the team recalled Miguel Andujar with Gio Urshela playing shortstop for Thursday night’s game against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Torres will likely have to stay on the COVID-19 IL for 10 days, though there has been some leeway for vaccinated players who are asymptomatic and who return multiple negative tests before the 10-day period is up.