Happy 4th of July. Well, at least writing this is on the 4th. It's coming out after that. But none the less. A lot of player/team news to talk about. Let's jump in.
The Minnesota Twins have four players who tested positive, including star Miguel Sano. The Twins getting this news hurts them as they are a lock for me in the AL Central almost. Even without Sano, this team is still outstanding. Look for Marwin Gonzalez, Jake Cave, and maybe even Nelson Cruz to get the reps at 1B for the Twins if Sano isn't 100% by the start of the season. Good news for the Twins new arrival Josh Donaldson isn't sitting out.
The face of the Franchise and Star C Salvador Perez of the KC Royals tested positive as well. This news hurts the Royals, who I have projected to be at the bottom of the division. This news doesn't help them at al to be more competitive. The door is not wide open for MJ Melendez to make an impact among other prospects.
Another Face of the Franchise and Star C Buster Posey of the SF Giants said today 'I am going to see how things progress over the next couple weeks' if he does indeed sit out Joey Barts time on the taxi squad to start the season is over. He will be put into an everyday role for the rebuilding Giants.
Another Star player in the NL West P David Price of the LA Dodgers, is sitting out the season. Look for Dennis Santana, Dylan Floro, Caleb Furguson, Scott Alexander, Adam Kolarek, and Mitchell White and Brusdar Gaterol to get some extra chances to start. The Dodgers are deep and talented, and this year that is the key to success.
The Braves got hit hard with positive tests- Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Pete Kozma, and Touki Toussaint all tested positive. BAD news! These are all critical players for the Braves who I have projected to win the tough NL East. The Braves should look to Ian Anderson, Kyle Muller, Tucker Davison, and Jasseel De La Cruz to fill the pitching void. Some combo of Camargo, William Contreras, Shea Langilers, Branden Shewmaker to work around the IF to fill Freeman's void. The Braves have a deep system and should be excellent either way. News broke late Saturday, and it wasn't great for the Braves as King Felix is sitting out the season. Luckily they have depth and should be okay. He was on a minors deal anyways. He will be a free agent after this season.
The Bronx bombers got a little unluckier and still can't kick the injury bug. After Tanaka taking a liner, going to the hospital and now being released. All-Star 2B DJ LeMahieu tested positive for COVID-19. Miguel Andujar should be able to fill in alongside Gleyber Torress. Expect Mike Ford and Luke Voit to work at an excellent 1B platoon while Gio Urshela handles the hot corner. The Yankees are deep, and depth pays off at times like these. Depth pieces Luis Ceesa also tested positive.
As of the morning of July 5th, the Whitesox have two unnamed players, and the Marlins have 4
Going into the morning of July 6th, here is the news.
The Arizona D backs have two depth pieces from the pen in Junior Guerra and Silvino Brancho. I can see Junior Guerra still getting his shot. But the D-Backs have decent enough depth and should be able to run through their arms at will this season.
The Atlanta Braves will continue to see their fortunes change as OF Nick Markakis was confirmed today to be sitting out the season. This sucks as the Braves already had four positive tests on impact players. But with Markakis sitting out, he will be looking towards the next step in his career as he will be a free agent. This is good for Ozuna to get some consistent playing time and Peter O'Brien, Drew Waters, and Ender Inciarte. Having many quality pieces in one lineup and team pays off this year more than ever.
Let's add more news onto the list today; Joey Gallo OF for the Rangers tested positive but is asymptomatic. Which, for me, tells me he is going to be isolated for a little bit. But I don't know how the MLB and Teams are handling cases like this. I don't see this being a make or break thing for the Rangers. It's still to be seen how these cases are handled.
Now, we got a little bit of speculation news, and here is how I am going to take this statement "I wanted to play this season because I thought it would be safe. Honestly, I don't feel that." that came from 3B Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs. I don't know how to take it honestly. I mean, its an adjustment for all players and us as a society to get used to. It's a wait and sees what his next step is.