The New York Yankees have two known major league players who tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days. Infielder DJ LeMahieu and right-handed reliever Luis Cessa were both placed on the 10-day injured list by the Bombers on Wednesday.
LeMahieu, who led the New York Yankees in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) with 5.4 fWAR (Fangraphs’ version) is said to have no symptoms of the disease. It is not clear, as of now, when he will be allowed to return to the active team and join the team summer camp.
The 31-year old star slashed .327/.375/.518 last season with a .375 wOBA and 136 wRC+. He hit a career-high 26 home runs in his finest offensive season yet. LeMahieu is in the last year of the two-year, $24 million pact he signed before the 2019 season.
The Yankees’ Cessa also on the shelf
The Yankees also placed hurler Luis Cessa on the 10-day injured list. The reliever was also recently diagnosed with coronavirus and had some mild symptoms for a few days, but he said on Tuesday that he is already recovered from the disease.
Like it is happening with LeMahieu, it is unclear when the 28-year old righty will be allowed to report to training camp.
Cessa pitched 81.0 innings in 2019, with a 4.11 ERA and a 4.87 FIP. He had a bit of a home run issue, conceding 1.56 long balls per each nine innings, but was a valuable reliever in a variety of roles for Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
The Yankees need both men to succeed in the 2020 shortened season, especially LeMahieu, because the dropoff in expected performance between LeMahieu and his potential replacements is considerable.
The 2020 season, for the New York Yankees, will start on July 23 against the Washington Nationals in the nation’s capital, so both men still have a handful of days to show they left the virus behind and return to the club.