Giants first baseman Brandon Belt tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, the club announced.
News of Belt’s positive case arrived about an hour before the team’s series-opener against Washington. Belt is vaccinated and boosted, the Giants said. Belt, relievers Dominic Leone and Zack Littell, and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski have each tested positive for COVID-19 this week.
In response to the outbreak, the Giants have closed off their clubhouse to essential personnel only. Executives sent an all-staff email reminding team employees to take precautions such as indoor mask-wearing and reporting symptoms.
To deal with roster turnovers from the COVID list, as well as physical injuries to Alex Cobb (abductor strain), Joc Pederson (abductor strain), Anthony DeSclafani (ankle inflammation), LaMonte Wade Jr. (knee), Evan Longoria (finger) and Tommy La Stella (Achilles), manager Gabe Kapler stressed the importance of staying even-keeled.
“We want to be healthy and have a ton of continuity, but I don’t think there’s a team around the league that feels like they have had their A+ roster all the way through the season,” Kapler said. “We’ve had quite a few…these are all fairly large challenges, but if you talk to any manager around baseball, they’re probably going to tell you a few of them as well.”
It took the Giants until 6:17 Pacific Time — 58 minutes before first pitch — to release a lineup. The team was likely awaiting coronavirus test results in order to make appropriate roster moves to field a team.
With Belt, who has four home runs on the year, on the IL, the Giants selected Jason Krizan, Mauricio Llovera and Ka’ai Tom from Triple-A Sacramento.
Krizan, a 32-year-old utility player who’s spent the past 11 years in the minor leagues, will start in left field in his MLB debut.
Llovera has pitched 10.2 scoreless innings for Sacramento in 2022. The right-hander from Venezuela has pitched in seven MLB games, all with the Phillies.
- Jakob Junis was optioned down to Sacramento after dealing 10 scoreless innings in relief for the Giants. San Francisco wants him to remain stretched out by giving him reps in Triple-A.
- Alex Cobb threw a two-inning side session on Thursday and is a “good possibility” to start Sunday against the Nationals, Kapler said. The Giants could also run out a bullpen game that Sunday in order to have both Logan Webb and Carlos Rodón rested for the two-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.
- Friday’s game is being broadcast on Apple TV+. The Giants are wearing their City Connect jerseys, in which they have a 10-1 record.