Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder and ball magnet Tim Locastro tested positive for coronavirus, skipper Torey Lovullo said ahead of the team’s Wednesday matchup against the Cleveland Indians.
“He’s doing good. I got the information last night and I spoke to him this morning,” Lovullo said. “He’s in the protocol and feeling fine. He said he’s feeling no symptoms and sometimes that happens but obviously we’re going to follow this entire protocol throughout this entire process.”
“Assuming that it wasn’t a false positive … he’ll be down at least 10 days,” Lovullo added. “How he got it? He’s not sure. … You can’t be too careful, those were some of the messages that we relayed to our group today. We have responsibilities when we step away from the ballpark. … We can’t let our guard down.”
Despite the positive test, the manager has “minimal concern” that additional COVID-19 cases will pop up.
Lovullo mentioned Tuesday that Locastro was in the mix for a number of positions this season.
In 33 games last season (82 plate appearances), Locastro recorded 20 hits, seven RBIs and four stolen bases. He averaged .290 to go along with a .395 OBP, both career highs, and also registered eight walks.
And let’s not forget about Locastro’s knack for getting beaned. Over the course of the last two seasons, Locastro has compiled 26 hit-by-pitches.
In one game this spring (three plate appearances), the speedster has been hit by a pitch and struck out once.
Losing Locastro puts the D-backs in another tough spot after losing outfielder Kole Calhoun for an extended period time due to a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Lovullo added Wednesday that the procedure Calhoun underwent earlier in the day to remove the damaged piece went as expected. The skipper does not have a timeline for his return at the moment.
“It’s obviously a little bit of a challenge with Kole’s name not in that lineup,” Lovullo said. “It’s going to take some creativity by the entire staff to make sure we’re evaluating and putting the right guys out there to give them the opportunity to go out there and perform.
“It’s going to create that opportunity and we want to make sure we give everybody a look that can step into that situation.”
With Calhoun and Locastro sidelined, Lovullo has a list of guys, including Pavin Smith, Daulton Varsho and Trayce Thompson, who could fill in as needed.
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