Haseley took his initial COVID-19 test on Wednesday and learned Saturday of the issues with his test, according to general manager Matt Klentak. He took another test on Monday which came back negative, allowing him to participate in Tues
day's workout.
It's a minor blip now as the season is still weeks away, but what if a similar 'lab error' were to happen in the thick of a pennant race?
“I think we all have concerns about that,” Phillies manager Joe Girardi told reporters on Tuesday. “When there are probably 1,500 to 1,800 tests a day, to say that they would all be perfect I think is unrealistic. I think we have to roll with it. That doesn't mean we're going to be happy about it or that we won't be upset if it happens. But it would be naive of us to think they are going to be perfect. Sometimes we have cases that are going to be pending for another day, and it seems they come back negative. It's just part of the process that we have to learn to deal with. And hopefully, if we get by this first week and they don't have 3,000 tests coming in a day, it will get better.”
Haseley is battling Roman Quinn for the starting spot in center field. He hit .266 with five homers and 26 RBIs over 67 appearances last season. Quinn, meanwhile, dealt with a groin issue and hit just .213 over 44 games last year.
"My mind is open,” Girardi said about the competition for center field. “My mind is really open with that spot. If one guy emerges, it’s one guy. If it’s a platoon, it’s a platoon. If one guy plays more than the other, we have that. The big thing is that we get production out of center field. That’s what I’m looking for. That doesn’t necessarily mean home runs. It could mean getting on base and scoring runs and a lot of different things. Really good defense. Sometimes when we talk about production, we think of home runs and RBIs. There’s a lot more to the game than that. I’m just going to let it play out and see who rises to the top here.”
COVID-19 roster updates
Klentak announced on Tuesday that bench coach Rob Thomson, bullpen coach Jim Gott and catching coach Greg Brodzinski have all tested positive for COVID-19. Klentak said all three are asymptomatic and expected to rejoin the club following protocols. Klentak also announced non-roster invitee Mikie Mahtook has tested positive for COVID-19.
Exhibitions announced
The Phillies will face the Nationals in Washington on July 18, host the Orioles at Citizens Bank Park on July 19 and then travel to New York to face the Yankees on July 20.
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