(670 The Score) Suffering from a stomach ailment over the past couple days wasn't much of a concern for Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. What did worry him was the thought of possibly spreading COVID-19 if he had unknowingly contracted the virus.
Bryant returned to the lineup as the Cubs hosted the Royals at Wrigley Field on Monday night after missing games Saturday and Sunday. Bryant and the Cubs believed it was best to be cautious, so he entered MLB's health protocol and tested negative on multiple occasions over the past 48 hours before returning Monday.
"This was a process," Bryant said Monday. "Before the game on Saturday, I was looking for some relief from a symptom I had. I didn't think anything twice of it, but considering everything that is going on around the league and how quickly things escalate, our team doctors are being cautious with it. I went and did a nasal swab and a couple of saliva tests.
"Deep down, I really didn't have much concern. It did kind of catch me off guard, the whole process. It is a great thing that I went through. Because if I did have it, all it takes is one person and it seems like half the team can get it. I think it was really important to keep up with those protocols and take it as seriously as we can."
Like the rest of MLB, Bryant is a bit on edge as the Marlins and Cardinals have been hit with coronavirus outbreaks.
"Hopefully this keeps us on the field," Bryant said of the frequent testing by MLB. "It seems there is a little way for the virus to get in, given how it has spread with the Marlins and Cardinals. We are hoping all those guys are all right. If we as people can add something to our responsibility, (it's) by just staying away if you do feel something. That will be the only way we get through a World Series. It's important to put your pride and egos aside and helping the rest of your teammates out too. What's most important is keeping an abundance of caution and keeping up with that."
The Cardinals are quarantining after their outbreak and aren't scheduled to play again until they welcome the Cubs into St. Louis on Friday, health willing.
"It's like all up in the air right now," Bryant said. "Someone mentioned they have more cases. It stinks. It really does. We hope those guys are al right. But any time you have a hiccup in the schedule like that, it's tough to make them up. We haven't talked as a team about what could happen. We are focused on this (Kansas City) series. You want to take it day by day. But it is hard to do that when teams have it that are coming up on your schedule. There is a little bit of uneasiness to it."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
