Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman tests positive for the coronavirus

New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms.

Manager Aaron Boone announced the diagnosis Saturday. He said Chapman “overall is doing well” but “will not be here for the foreseeable future.”

Chapman pitched in an intrasquad game Tuesday, and Boone wouldn’t comment on whether he had been at Yankee Stadium since. Boone said the team had gone through contact tracing protocols, and no other players or personnel would be forced to isolate because of Chapman’s positive test.

The Yankees will open their regular season July 23 against the World Series champion Nationals at Washington. If Chapman isn’t back by the opener, Boone said left-hander Zack Britton would be a “natural guy” to replace him, but a formal decision hasn’t been made.

Chapman, a six-time All-Star, has 273 career saves, including 37 last season when he had a 2.21 ERA.

Sports

Notable athletes who have opted out of playing amid coronavirus crisis

Here’s a list of some notable athletes who have decided not to take part in the sports’ restart amid the coronavirus crisis.

July 10, 2020

In other news related to the novel coronavirus:

— The Houston Astros have canceled their workout after learning that a staff member could have been exposed to a person outside the organization with the coronavirus. It’s the second time this week the Astros have canceled a workout because of concerns about the pandemic. Houston also scrapped its Monday workout because of delays with testing results due to the holiday weekend, as did some other teams around the majors.

— Coronavirus cases spiking in the Las Vegas area contributed to the NHL choosing two Canadian cities to complete its season. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly on Saturday called the rise a “concern” to the league. He adds that it was “one of the reasons” the NHL chose to put games in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta. Las Vegas was long considered a front-runner.

— Dallas defenseman Roman Polak and Vancouver forward Sven Baertschi on Saturday joined the list of players who won’t be reporting to training camp for the resumption of the NHL season. Baertschi told the Canucks he’d be opting out of participating in the expanded 24-team playoffs, following Calgary defenseman Travis Hamonic informing the Flames he won’t be playing because of family reasons. Polak is not on the Stars’ roster for the start of training camp, and a team spokesman said the 34-year-old veteran won’t be attending at this time.

— The NHRA resumed its season Saturday in front of an expected crowd of 3,000 to 4,000 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. Fans were not allowed at Friday’s practice session but returned in a limited capacity for qualifying. NHRA President Glen Cromwell said ticket sales were capped at about 10 to 15% of normal capacity. They also are expected to attend Sunday’s finals.