PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Monday night’s Philadelphia Phillies home game against the San Francisco Giants was played as scheduled, although the team announced three players and two more coaches have entered COVID-19 protocols.
In total, three players and five coaches have been placed on the team's COVID-19 protocol list. Being placed on the list means they have either tested positive or may have come in contact with another person who tested positive.
Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrokwski is hoping there will be no other players or coaches who will be forced into the protocol.
"You never can tell what takes place," said Dombrowski. "Am I concerned? Sure. Am I hopeful that nothing else happens? Yes, that’s the way I would describe it."
The three players in the protocol are infielder Ronald Torreyes and pitchers Matt Moore and Jose Alvarado.
Dombrowski discussed how the players are traced through devices they are wearing in hopes of tracking anyone they may have come in contact with.
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He hopes they will help regarding any other situations involving the players and COVID-19 protocols. This includes concerns with the pitching staff with two of the three players in the protocol being pitchers.
"This traces where you are at a particular time and who you have close contact," Dombrowski said. "That's how we do it an nobody this point in the bullpen turned up as necessary to be away as far as COVID procedures are concerned."
Like the rest of the world, Major League Baseball is hoping vaccines will help bring the pandemic to an end. The league has stated it will ease COVID-19 restrictions if 85% of baseball players and other members of organizations get vaccinated.
Dombrowski acknowledged that it is up to each individual when it comes to the decision to get vaccinated, but he and his staff have strongly encouraged everyone connected with the Phillies to get a vaccine.
"I’m hopeful we’ll get to 85%," said Dombrowski. "We’ve talked to individuals about that. We made presentations to them. We continue to work on that on a daily basis."
While the vaccinations may ease restrictions, America remains in the pandemic. With more testing and tracing, Dombrowski is hopeful there will be no other players or coaches put in protocol.
However, Dombrowski is well aware how the virus is still more than capable of spreading.
"I wouldn’t say I’m 100-percent confident at this point," Dombrowski said. "We have never been through something like this as far as the COVID situation is concerned, so you never can tell what takes place."
The team had to bring up Lehigh Valley IronPigs manager Gary Jones to coach third base Monday night.