Notes: Giants report 2nd positive COVID-19 test
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants will be missing at least one member of their player pool for the beginning of Summer Camp, as right-hander Luis Madero tested positive for COVID-19, manager Gabe Kapler said Friday.
Madero, who was claimed off waivers from the Angels in January, underwent testing on Tuesday and returned a positive result on Thursday. He is the second member of the Giants organization to do so. Outfield prospect Hunter Bishop also tested positive for COVID-19 last week, scuttling the Giants’ plans to include him in their initial player pool. Both players gave the Giants permission to disclose their test results.
Major League Baseball and the Players Association jointly announced the first set of results from COVID-19 testing on Friday. There were 38 positive tests, including 31 players and seven staff members, out of 3,185 samples collected as part of the mandatory intake screening process, a rate of 1.2%. Nineteen clubs have had at least one individual test positive.
Kapler said the Giants still have some players who are in the midst of completing their intake process, but he expects all the initial screenings to be completed by the end of the weekend.
Madero, a 23-year-old from Venezuela, is currently isolating and will have to return two negative tests before he is allowed to resume training with the Giants. He was unlikely to open the season on the Giants’ Opening Day roster, as he has not pitched above Double-A.
Posey update
Buster Posey was not at Oracle Park for the first day of training camp on Friday. Kapler said Posey had a personal issue to attend to and could be back as early as Saturday. The absence is not COVID-19-related, as Kapler said that Posey tested negative.
“I don't expect Buster to be far behind if he's behind by a day, if he's behind by two days,” Kapler said. “The expectation is he's not going to be behind by much. If there's anybody in our camp that knows how to prepare for a regular season, knows how to be built up for the workload, has an arm stroke and a body that can prepare quickly, it's Buster.
“That being said, when it comes to personal matters, we believe -- and I personally believe -- that players can come back when the time is right for them. We prioritize their families over all else. In this particular case, I don't have concerns about Buster being significantly behind.”
Bailey jumps into the pool
The Giants officially added 2020 first-round Draft pick Patrick Bailey to their player pool on Friday. Bailey, a switch-hitting catcher out of North Carolina State, agreed to a $3.8 million deal with San Francisco on Wednesday, according to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, and will now have an opportunity to log developmental reps at training camp this summer.