Chicago White Sox veteran first baseman Jose Abreu has tested positive for the coronavirus and will be away from the team’s spring training complex for the next several days, general manager Rick Hahn announced on Wednesday, per the Chicago Sun-Times.
According to the report, Abreu is asymptomatic.
“In compliance with MLB intake protocols, José Abreu will remain away from the club for the next several days due to a positive COVID test,” Hahn said. “José, who is completely asymptomatic, believes he contracted a mild case of the disease in January, which is reinforced by the presence of COVID antibodies in additional testing.
“Other than being frustrated, José feels great and, like the rest of us, is looking forward to when he rejoins the club in the not too distant future.”
It’s a big loss for the White Sox as Abreu was named the American League Most Valuable Player during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, leading the White Sox to their first postseason berth since 2018 by leading the majors in RBIs (60) and total bases (148).
Abreu batted .317 to go along with 19 homers, 76 hits, and a .617 slugging percentage, playing all 60 games for Chicago.
