10:00 pm: Meadows offered Topkin an encouraging update via text, writing: “The first few days I was pretty tired and had some mild cold symptoms. But I feel ready to go now. However, there is no known timetable for his return.
8:01 pm: The Rays have placed the outfielder Austin Meadows On the disabled list as a result of a positive COVID-19 test, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The club has also added a left-handed reliever Aaron Loup to his list of 40 men.
Meadows has been absent from training since last week, so this isn’t necessarily a surprising development. However, it is discouraging to see another positive test confirmation. It is unclear whether Meadows is exhibiting any symptoms at this time, but he will have to demonstrate that he is asymptomatic and test negative for the disease twice within 24 hours before he is eligible to return to the Rays.
When he can return, Meadows will try to build an exemplary first season with the Rays. The 25-year-old emerged as one of the sport’s brightest young talents last season, hitting .291 / .364 / .558 with 33 home runs and 12 stolen bases en route to a nod to the All-Star Game.
Loup, 32, joined the Rays in a minor league contract in February. His 2019 season, which happened with San Diego, was largely a washout due to elbow issues that limited him to 3 1/3 innings. However, Loup has been typically trustworthy throughout his career, having posted a 3.45 ERA with 8.39 K / 9, 2.76 BB / 9 and a 54.3 percent ground rate in 326 frames since he debuted with the Blue Jays in 2012.
