Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, one of the Pirates' top-ranked prospects, has not been in summer camp at all, despite being named to the roster that would prepare for the 2020 season at PNC Park.
On Sunday, the reason for that was made clear.
Manager Derek Shelton said in a Zoom call that Hayes tested positive for COVID-19 and recently gave the Pirates his consent to disclose that information. HIPAA laws prevent Major League Baseball teams from saying a player or staff member tested positive for coronavirus without that person's consent.
Hayes' confirmed positive now makes four Pirates who have tested positive and given their consent to have that made public, as Hayes joined right fielder Gregory Polanco, right-handed reliever Blake Cederlind and outfielder Socrates Brito.
Brito, so far, is the only player who has returned to action.
On a strictly baseball level, Hayes' absence thus far in summer camp is concerning from a developmental standpoint. After playing a full season in Class-AAA Indianapolis last year, Hayes was thought to have had at least a puncher's chance at making the 2020 opening day roster. Even if he hadn't made it, the opportunity to spend three extra weeks with the big league club _ learning and improving _ would have been nice in a season where prospect development may be at a premium.
"Any time we lose development time, it's challenging for us," Shelton said Sunday. "As we've talked about numerous times, not just for (Hayes), but for all of our prospects, this is a big year for us. We have to be very thoughtful of how much work we get them and try to get them as much work as possible. Any time we lose prospect time, it's challenging. But it's just something that we'll adapt and adjust (to) and move forward with."
Shelton said Hayes remains in quarantine. Per MLB rules, he will have to produce two negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart and pass a physical as well as an antibody test in order to return to action.
