Yankees' Gleyber Torres Tests Positive For COVID-19 as Outbreak Grows

Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres has received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, the team announced in a statement on Thursday afternoon.

Torres is now the eighth member of the Yankees' traveling party on their road trip to Tampa Bay to contract the virus, a group that includes three coaches and four support staff members. Pitching coach Matt Blake, third base coach Phil Nevin and first base coach Reggie Willits have also contracted COVID-19.

Like the other seven individuals to test positive for the virus, Torres has been fully vaccinated, making this another "breakthrough" case. In fact, Torres had COVID-19 last December.

All eight individuals are asymptomatic and quarantining in Tampa, Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed Thursday afternoon. They will continue to quarantine for the foreseeable future in Tampa, even as New York travels to Baltimore for their next series.

Torres was held out of the lineup on Wednesday night as New York's COVID outbreak reached seven breakthrough cases. At the time, New York was awaiting results from a slew of tests, keeping Torres away from the team out of an abundance of caution. 

Now, with Torres landing on the COVID IL, Miguel Andújar has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes/Barre. Andújar is starting at third base on Thursday night with Gio Urshela filling in for Torres at shortstop.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a small percentage of people who are fully vaccinated will still get COVID-19 if they are exposed to the virus that causes it. Each of the eight people that have tested positive received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Boone confirmed.

The Yankees eclipsed the 85 percent vaccine threshold weeks ago, affording members of the organization more freedom from strict health and safety protocols. Boone explained that the vaccination rate within the organization has played a key role in games not being postponed this week due to contact tracing during this developing situation.

Torres is the first Yankees player to test positive for the virus since last summer when a handful of player contracted COVID-19 before MLB's 60-game shortened campaign. 

MORE:

• 'Absolute Bulldog': Gerrit Cole Has Been Everything the Yankees Need and More
• Clint Frazier’s Frustrations Boil Over, Gets Ejected For First Time in Career
• Yankees' COVID-19 Outbreak Grows to Seven Breakthrough Cases

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