The Boston Red Sox looked like they were just about to full round back into health, but that changed quickly.
Over the last two days, Hunter Renfroe has gone on the bereavement list, Kiké Hernández tested positive for COVID-19 and Christian Arroyo was deemed a close contact. Now, all of those guys are out, while Danny Santana continues to get closer to returning to the big leagues from a groin injury.
There are no specific timetables for any of those four players.
“I mean, obviously we know about the positive (test), right? Kiké,” Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday afternoon over Zoom. “Just making sure he’s doing OK. Christian, with the protocol, he’s going to keep getting tested and hopefully it stays the way it is. It’s only a close contact. I’m not sure how it works, when he can leave the hotel or go to Boston. I try to stay away from all that stuff, we’ve got a game to play and we have to be ready for this. Always checking on them.”
Players can stay on the bereavement list for a maximum of seven games. They have to hit a minimum of three games, which Renfroe will when he officially misses Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Indians.
“Checking on Hunter too, how things are going over there,” Cora said. “I just stay with the personal side of it, but I haven’t asked (when he’ll be back). Probably will contact the agent and obviously see how things are going today, and we’ll go from there.”
With the Red Sox short on so much versatility, there was talk of the speeding up Santana’s rehab so that he could join the team quicker.
For now, there’a pin in that idea.
“Danny had a good game (Friday). He played outfield, he’s playing nine (Sunday in the minors), so we’ll keep it like that,” Cora said. “I think what we’re going to do is just stay with this roster until we get to Tampa, unless something changes today. But we’re in a good spot, we’ve got some versatility, today we’ve got more speed on the bench today than we had yesterday.”
The Red Sox-Rays series Cora alludes to begins Monday in St. Petersburg.
