LOS ANGELES (CNS) - “Some people'' in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization have tested positive for the coronavirus, President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman said, but was not more specific.
None of them have had “symptoms that have been problematic,'' Friedman told reporters on a conference call Thursday.
Friedman said he was “not sure'' if any players would be delayed in reporting for preseason training.
“It's definitely possible, but I don't know for sure,'' Friedman said.
Players are scheduled to report to Dodger Stadium Wednesday with the first workout set for next Friday.
In the past two weeks, the Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies have all acknowledged positive test cases among staffers or players, at least 40 total, according to a USA Today report.
The outbreak prompted MLB to order clubs to close their training complexes in Florida and Arizona and conduct preseason training in July at their home stadiums
The coronavirus “is front of mind for all of us,'' Friedman said. The Dodgers “are trying to handle this in the way that we think best. We're figuring this out, working as we go.''
Friedman said “there's no question we're going to have a decent number of positive tests in spring training and the season.''
“To me, it's much more about how quick we are to respond to that, the treatment options, the quarantining part of it, making sure it doesn't spread among the group,'' Friedman said.
“And to the extent that we can contain it, and we have really good health and safety protocols in place, I think it's something that collectively, as a group, everyone working together, I think it’s something we can manage. But anyone who pretends like they can sit here today and tell you exactly how things are going to play out, I don't subscribe to that, I don't agree with it.
“There's a lot we don't know. A lot of our conversations internally has just been about staying on our toes, staying nimble and trying to communicating our way through everything, read and react as things pop up. That's our plan. As we learn more, we'll get smarter with how we do things.''
Photo: Getty Images