Red Sox Player, Two Staff Members Test Positive For COVID-19

It did not take long into the 2022 season for COVID-19 to rear its ugly head within the Red Sox clubhouse.

Roughly a half-hour before the start of the Monday morning matchup between Boston and Minnesota, the Red Sox through a statement announced Kevin Plawecki was placed on the COVID-19 Related Injured list. The veteran catcher, who is fully vaccinated, was in Boston’s starting lineup for Sunday afternoon’s win at Fenway Park.

Plawecki wasn’t the only member of the Red Sox to test positive for the virus, though. Manager Alex Cora on Monday morning also revealed two Boston staffers, who are not coaches, contracted COVID-19.

The Red Sox dealt with ongoing COVID-19 issues last season, so Cora and company aren’t strangers to the situation.

“We went through this so I’m not going to get concerned with stuff I can’t control,” Cora told reporters, per MassLive. “We went through the whole protocol. There were a few close contacts. They got tested, they’re good. We live today and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Connor Wong, who the Red Sox acquired in the Mookie Betts trade, was called up from Triple-A Worcester to replace Plawecki on Boston’s active roster.

The Red Sox will try to earn their third consecutive win over the Twins on Patriots’ Day. First pitch is set for 11:10 a.m. ET and NESN will air the game in full along with complete postgame coverage.