The Phillies appear to have placed four players on the 10-day disabled list. While the team has yet to make a formal announcement, the MLB.com transaction page indicates that Scott Kingery, Hector Neris, Tommy Hunter and Ranger Suarez all have been placed in IL. No reason was mentioned.
Given the lack of a formal announcement and the lack of specific injuries, COVID-19 is likely to be speculated among these four players. The league has already made clear that teams will not be required to name players who enter the disabled list for COVID-19 reasons. In a statement to ESPN’s Marly Rivera yesterday, MLB offered the following:
Because COVID-19 is not considered an employment-related injury, we will respect the privacy of players who test positive or are under evaluation, and will defer their wishes regarding public updates on their status. Without your voluntary permission, we will not disclose any information related to COVID-19.
It must be emphasized that a player does not need to test positive for the virus to be placed on the IL for COVID-19. Players who show symptoms and those who have come into contact with people who have tested positive may also be placed on IL for precautionary reasons. Once in IL for a positive COVID-19 test or for symptoms / contact reasons, a player will need the negative test twice to be reinstated.
An additional context may eventually come to light, but for now we know that the Phillies have multiple key players sidelined at least until the end of next week (IL locations are retroactive to June 30). Kingery is expected to play a day-to-day role in the box this year, though her superlative defensive abilities would allow Captain Joe Girardi to plug her into virtually any part of the diamond while providing solid gloves. Neris entered the season as the clear closer in Philadelphia, and veteran Hunter would have played a role as a setup. Suarez gave Phils 48 2/3 3.14 bullpen ERA last year and had also positioned himself as a top staff member.
A prolonged absence for Kingery could open the door for the third base prospect Alec Bohm (with Jean Segura second base crew). Non-veterans like it Neil Walker, Logan Forsythe and Josh Harrison They are also in the Phillies’ group of 60 players. In the absence of the three arms that were placed in the IL, an already injury-ridden bullpen would become even more troublesome. It’s unclear who would enter the ninth inning if Neris wasn’t available, but the trio of Neris, Suarez, and Hunter could play vital roles in the final innings in 2020, if health permits.
