Phillies put four players, including Aaron Nola, on COVID-19 shortlist

BOSTON – With a chance to push their record to .500 in the last game before the all-star break, the Phillies placed four players – including Aaron Nola, the scheduled starting pitcher on Sunday – on the COVID-19 shortlist, after the third baseman Alec Bohm has tested positive.

Nola, Bohm and relievers Connor Brogdon and Bailey Falter were taken out of the roster for the series final here against the Boston Red Sox. The Phillies called infielder Nick Maton and relievers Damon Jones, Mauricio Llovera and Cristopher Sánchez from Lehigh Valley triple A.

Bohm, who left Saturday’s game early, was asymptomatic on Saturday night, according to manager Joe Girardi, who had not seen him on Sunday. But because Bohm tested positive, MLB protocols state that he must be sidelined for at least 10 days until he receives multiple negative tests.

The other players have been tracked down. Vaccinated players are no longer subject to contact tracing, according to MLB protocols. The Phillies learned Sunday morning that Nola would not be available to pitch and rushed to make a plan before selecting reliever Brandon Kintzler as the opener.

“Hopefully he can get past the first four hitters and then there’s a chance we go to Sanchez then,” said Girardi, who didn’t consider using all-star starter Zack Wheeler on a short rest.

The Phillies are among the few teams that have not reached the threshold of 85% of players and staff vaccinated for MLB to relax COVID-19 protocols. The team did not demand that players and staff get vaccinated. But club officials have also understood the possibility of a competitive disadvantage if the team does not reach the 85% mark.

“I don’t think you can require the players to do this. I think it’s a personal choice, ”Girardi said. “You have to deal with it, that’s all. Small things like this will probably show up more than vaccinated teams. You’re just praying that it’s a false positive or that the guys nearby don’t get it. This is your prayer.

“But in the meantime, sometimes you have to lose players who don’t necessarily have it, and that’s the frustrating part.”

Frustrating enough that unvaccinated players and staff end their resistance to getting the shot?

“I doubt it,” Girardi said. “Because I think it’s their beliefs. Its good. People’s beliefs are their beliefs. I would say [Bohm is] one less person who probably has a chance of getting it the rest of the year.

Unvaccinated players can be placed on the COVID-19 shortlist for a variety of reasons, including exposure to an infected person through contact tracing. Players and staff on teams who are 85% unvaccinated should wear Kinexon contact tracing devices that Girardi says “look like dominoes.”

Players who show symptoms of the common cold are also put on the list until they test negative for COVID-19.