SAN DIEGO — Recently acquired infielder Jorge Mateo has become the second San Diego Padres player to test positive for the coronavirus, manager Jayce Tingler said Wednesday.
Mateo "has not been to the ballpark, on the field, locker room, anything like that" and has "been self-isolating," Tingler told reporters on a Zoom call before the start of Wednesday's workout at Petco Park.
"At the beginning," he said, Mateo "had a little bit of a loss of smell and taste although the reports are coming back the smell and taste is starting to come back to him. He is feeling a little bit better." Recently acquired infielder Jorge Mateo has become the second San Diego Padres player to test positive for the coronavirus, manager Jayce Tingler said Wednesday.
The team announced Friday that outfielder Tommy Pham had tested positive.
The 25-year-old Mateo was acquired from the Oakland Athletics June 30 in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. He has not played in the major leagues. Mateo hit .231 in 12 spring training games with the Athletics before spring training was halted because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Mateo was the starting shortstop for Oakland's triple-A affiliates in 2018 and 2019. He led minor league baseball in stolen bases in 2015 with 82.
Under MLB's COVID-19 Health Monitoring & Testing Plan, a covered individual who tests positive for the coronavirus will not be allowed to travel (except as authorized by club medical staff and the Joint Committee), access any team facility, or have direct contact with any other covered individual or other club staff (other than medical staff) unless and until each of the following occurs:
-- the individual tests negative on two separate confirmatory tests performed by the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory taken at least 24 hours apart;
-- the individual has been not feverish for at least 72 hours without the use of any fever suppressant, and any respiratory symptoms have improved, as confirmed and documented by his or her treating physician or club medical staff;
-- the individual completes at least one antibody test following the positive diagnosis;
-- at the discretion of the team physician, a cardiac evaluation is conducted in accordance with published standards;
-- the individual's team physician, any treating physician caring for the covered individual, and the Joint Committee all conclude that the individual no longer presents a risk of infection to others and is healthy enough to return to his or her usual professional responsibilities, in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and
-- any local regulations or requirements are satisfied. RELATED: San Diego Padres outfielder tests postive for COVID-19
