New York Mets release statement on Donovan Mitchell Sr.

New York Mets
Dec 7, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; New York Mets sign and logo during the MLB winter meetings at Gaylord Opryland Resort. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Donovan Mitchell, the Utah Jazz’ star, tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday. He was the second NBA player to be infected, the first being Rudy Gobert. As it turns out, there is a link to the New York Mets.

Donovan Mitchell’s father, Donovan Mitchell Sr., works for the New York Mets as the director of player relations and community engagement. The staffer attended an NBA game, when the Utah Jazz (the team for which his son and Gobert play) played the New York Knicks on March 4.

He has been a regular in the Mets’ training camp in Florida ever since. No one knows for sure if there is a chance he is infected, but it remains a possibility, and the team released a statement on the situation.

“We have been in regular communication with medical professionals and public health authorities over the past several weeks. When news surfaced last night of the situation involving the Utah Jazz, we immediately contacted Donovan Mitchell Sr. to advise him to not report at our facility this morning.”

“Upon learning today that his son, Donovan Mitchell Jr., tested positive for the Coronavirus, we brought that fact to the attention of our medical team, who recommended, as a precautionary measure, that Donovan Sr. be tested, and we are making those arrangements.”

The Mets will continue to monitor the situation

It is unclear, as of now, whether other members of the New York Mets, players and workers, will undergo testing for the COVID-19.

“We will continue to closely monitor the situation and the medical staff will advise us if any additional testing becomes advisable,” the Mets closed.

Major League Baseball canceled the remaining spring training games and pushed back opening day two weeks in what seems like an optimistic measure. Other known professional leagues and circuits, like NHL, UEFA and several more are opting to suspend operations and activities as precautionary measures.