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Boston Red Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe made headlines Wednesday after hitting a homerun and making a late-game pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays. Renfroe is well positioned to make headlines again on Thursday, this time for comments he made on how Major League Baseball handled the Red Sox’s COVID-19 outbreak.
The Red Sox have had nine players who tested positive for COVID-19 during their outbreak, including shortstop Xander Bogaerts, outfielder Jarren Duran, starters Nick Pivetta and Martín Pérez, and closest Matt Barnes.
Renfroe was asked about the situation during an appearance on WEEI’s Merloni & Fauria, hosted by former Red Sox infielder Lou Merloni and New England Patriots tight end Christian Fauria . “MLB basically told us to stop testing and just treat the symptoms,” Renfroe said. “We’re like ‘No. We’re going to figure out what’s going on and try to keep this thing under control.'”
Renfroe then reaffirmed his claim that MLB asked the Red Sox to stop testing for COVID-19 when Merloni asked for confirmation. Here is the exchange as a video:
A spokesperson for the Red Sox has since posted the following comment to Chris Cotillo from MassLive: “We have been following MLB’s COVID-19 protocols throughout the season. We have consulted them closely on everything we have done and continue to test and their medical staff have been very supportive.”
An MLB spokesperson, meanwhile, made the following statement to the Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams, saying Renfroe’s claim was “completely false and inaccurate.”
The Red Sox are known to be one of seven teams that are below the 85% vaccination rate for Level 1 individuals (players, coaches, coaches) that would allow relaxed COVID-19 restrictions.
“It’s heartbreaking,” baseball general manager Chaim Bloom said recently. “Each [positive test] has been. We have tried to go to great lengths to prevent this kind of thing from happening. And then to see what’s going on now, it’s really hard. It goes beyond baseball. We feel, and I certainly feel in the chair I’m sitting in, a lot of responsibility to each person in our travel party and organization. And when our power to stop something like that from happening and keep happening can only go up to a point, it’s a bad feeling. “
Testing only symptomatic individuals is not considered an effective way to contain an outbreak. As the CDC notes on its website, “some people without symptoms may be able to spread the virus.”
The Red Sox are off Thursday before starting a weekend streak against the White Sox in Chicago on Friday.
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