FILE — Houston Astro relief pitchers run in from the bullpen as benches emptied out in the sixth inning after Joe Kelly #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers threw several high pitches at Minute Maid Park on July 28, 2020 in Houston, Texas. Bob Levey/Getty Images/AFP
Eight Houston Astros pitchers have left spring training camp due to COVID-19 protocols, manager Dusty Baker said Friday.
Baker said Bryan Abreu, Pedro Baez, Ronel Blanco, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier, Francis Martes, Enoli Paredes and Hector Velazquez are absent from the team’s facilities in West Palm Beach, Fla.
General manager James Click would not say whether any of the players had tested positive for COVID-19.
“Part of the reason that so many players are away from camp for health and safety (protocols) is because we want to cast a wide net,” Click told reporters. “And the protocols cast a wide net to make sure if there are delays between contagious stages and positive test results that those don’t lead to an outbreak.
“We are following Major League Baseball’s health and safety protocols, and this is what they call for. We and the league believe that, by following them, we will ensure the rest of the guys are not exposed and we can continue to get ready for the season.”
The Astros are scheduled to play the Miami Marlins on Friday in Jupiter, Fla.