Myers, Hosmer on IL amid COVID-19 issues
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The Padres continued to adjust their roster on Wednesday in the wake of losing five position players to COVID-19 issues.
Right fielder Wil Myers and first baseman Eric Hosmer were put on the injured list on Wednesday. They joined shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and utility players Jurickson Profar and Jorge Mateo, who all landed on the IL a day earlier. Padres manager Jayce Tingler said Tatis and Myers have tested positive for COVID-19 and the others are in contact tracing protocols.
To fortify the roster heading into the Padres’ doubleheader vs. the Rockies at Coors Field on Wednesday, the Padres recalled outfielder/first baseman Brian O'Grady from Triple-A El Paso and selected outfielder Patrick Kivlehan to the Major League roster.
The Padres also recalled left-handed reliever Nick Ramirez from El Paso as the 27th man for the doubleheader.
Tingler was not available to the media before the doubleheader began, but he addressed the roster attrition on Tuesday night. Tatis, Profar and Mateo were placed on the IL before the Padres’ 8-1 victory over Colorado. Myers and Hosmer each started Tuesday but entered health and safety protocols after being removed during the game.
“You’re not going to replace them, but what we are going to do is we’re going to show up, we’re going to compete,” Tingler said. “Nobody’s going to carry that load. It’s going to take a group of guys chipping in, working together.”
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O’Grady made one plate appearance with the Padres in an earlier callup. Kivlehan, who played in five games with the Padres in 2016, last appeared in the Majors in ’18 with the D-backs. Ramirez has a 7.71 ERA over seven innings (five games) at the big league level this season.
According to MLB health and safety protocols announced in February, individuals who test positive are required to isolate for a minimum of 10 days. They must be cleared by the Joint Committee and the team physician, following a cardiac evaluation and a determination that they no longer presents a risk of infection to others.
Those identified as having been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 are subject to a mandatory quarantine of seven days and must test negative on Day 5 or later.