Red Sox' Kiké Hernandez Tests Positive For COVID-19, Christian Arroyo Deemed Close Contact
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox will be without Kiké Hernandez and Christian Arroyo when they begin their three-game series in Cleveland on Friday night. The former has tested positive for COVID-19, while the latter has been deemed a close contact.
Both Hernandez and Arroyo are expected to miss an unspecified amount of time.
Manager Alex Cora said that Hernandez has been experiencing symptoms.
"They'll be out for obviously an extended period of time," Cora said.
The Red Sox called up Jonathan Arauz and Yairo Munoz to fill those spots on the big league roster.
#RedSox dealing with COVID issues....
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) August 27, 2021
Kike' Hernandez tested positive and Christian Arroyo is considered a close contact. He's also out.
Jonathan Arauz and Yairo Munoz up from the @WooSox
and wll both be in the lineup tonight.@WBZ
#wbz
Hernandez has played in 112 games for the Red Sox this season, sixth-most on the team. He's batting .258 with an .811 OPS and 17 home runs on the year, while primarily playing center field and second base.
Arroyo has already spent three stints on the Injured List this season. He's hitting .264 with a .777 OPS on the season, while primarily playing second base.
Arauz, 23, has hit .207 in 29 big league at-bats this year. He's hit .231 with a .672 OPS for Triple-A Worcester. The 26-year-old Munoz has hit .333 in 45 major league at-bats this season, with an .844 OPS. For Triple-A Worcester, he's hit .318 with an .808 OPS.
Cora said the team was hopeful that both players would arrive in Cleveland in time for Friday night's game. The manager also said that the Red Sox are among the most vigilant teams in terms of COVID testing.
"We've been very disciplined. I think just talking to teams around the league, other people and other teams, we probably are the most aggressive team testing-wise throughout the process," Cora said. "Even [last] weekend, the situation with the Rangers, because of some people that tested positive over there, we had to do our due diligence over here to make sure our group was clear, was sound, regardless if you were vaccinated or not. So I think we're doing a good job, it just happened that this is what we're fighting against, right? It's not Kiké's fault. I know for a fact that he's been great about all this stuff and taking care of his family, for obvious reasons, with a baby and his dad and everything that comes with the territory in his situation. But it's something that we don't control. We're fighting an invisible enemy and it just happens that he tested positive."