CLEVELAND – The Indians put starters Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac on the restricted list Tuesday after the pitchers broke team rules by leaving their hotel in Chicago last weekend and exposing risks to the COVID-19 virus.
Clevinger and Plesac went with a group of people Saturday night to the Indians’ win over the White Sox. The team had implemented a code of conduct for players to follow along the way, prohibiting them from socializing outside of team staff.
The Indians immediately sent Plesac home in a car service after learning of his violation, but the Indians were unaware that Clevinger had been with him until he flew back to Cleveland with his teammates, coaches and other staff.
Both pitchers remain in quarantine. It is not immediately clear when they will return. Major League Baseball allows teams to use the restricted list for players who are not available to play for non-baseball reasons.
Clevinger and Plesac could not participate in any of the teams’ baseball activities until they tested negative twice in 72 hours, but it appears that the Indians want to keep them as a penalty.
Clevinger had posted the two-player opening game of the game at home against the Cubs on Tuesday.
Team president Chris Antonetti and manager Terry Francona, who is returning from missing eight games with a medical issue, are expected to comment on the pitchers before the game.
The Indians were disappointed in Clevinger and Plesac, who both pitched well for one of the best baseball sticks. But their behavior put them and their teammates at risk of contracting the coronavirus, which stopped baseball during spring training and continued to spread across the country.
The St. Louis Cardinals have postponed several games due to an outbreak of the virus on their team.
.
