Anthony Rizzo, a cancer survivor, latest Yankee to test positive for COVID-19
Anthony Rizzo is the latest New York Yankees player to test positive for COVID-19, team manager Aaron Boone announced Sunday.
Rizzo, who was acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, is experiencing light symptoms, Boone said, and was placed on the COVID-19 related injury list. Rizzo turned 32 on Sunday and is a cancer survivor.
Catcher Gary Sanchez, and starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery also recently tested positive. That's after Aaron Judge was placed on the list shortly after the All-Star break and a July 15 game was postponed for testing and contact tracing.
Rizzo said in June while with the Cubs that he was "taking some more time to see the data in all of it" before being vaccinated. The Cubs were one of eight teams at the time that had not reached the 85% vaccination threshold. He added he was "definitely not against getting it." Boone did not say if Rizzo was vaccinated since then.
Vaccinated individuals who test positive can return if they are asymptomatic and test negative two straight days. Unvaccinated players must wait 10 days. The Yankees play the Chicago White Sox on the road next weekend, a city homecoming of sorts for Rizzo.
The Yankees are past the 85% threshold, but have had breakthrough positives throughout the season. Most of the players received the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which is 66.3% effective in clinical trials at preventing COVID-19 illness. The two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have a higher efficacy.
Rizzo is hitting .281 with three home runs and six RBIs in his nine games since joining the Yankees. He was replaced in Sunday's lineup against Seattle by first baseman Luke Voit, who was recently out with left knee inflammation.
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