Salvador Pérez tests positive for coronavirus

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Salvy is asymptomatic so far.

Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Pérez has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to MLB.com reporter Jeffrey Flanagan. He is asymptomatic and will get tested again. Pérez and his wife María Gabriela had their second child together last December. Salvy told reporters his entire family has tested negative.

According to MLB protocols, Pérez will be quarantined away from the team and must be fever-free for 72 hours, test negative twice in 24 hours, complete an antibody test and be deemed no longer a threat to spread COVID-19 by the team physician and a “Joint Committee” consisting of one medical and one non-medical representative of both MLB and the MLBPA before re-joining the team. Anyone that has had contact with a player that tested positive will be tested and monitored and will self-isolate for 24 hours until test results are known. Players will be tested several times a week and will be screened for their temperature daily. The season is scheduled to begin around July 24. A player placed on the COVID-19 Injury List will not count against the active roster of the 60-man club pool limit.

The 30-year old Pérez missed the entire 2019 season after Tommy John surgery on his elbow. He was reportedly in better shape this summer than he was in spring training back in March.

MLB reported that 31 players and 7 staff members tested positive for the coronavirus in the initial round of widespread tests, a positive rate of just over one percent. Among the players confirmed to have tested positive so far include Rays outfielder Tommy Pham, Indians outfielder Delino DeShields, and Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman.