ATLANTA _ Braves outfielder Nick Markakis, who opted out at the beginning of this season because of coronavirus concerns only to return to the team July 29, was placed on the injured list Tuesday night for potential exposure to the disease.
In making the announcement, the Braves said he tested negative for COVID-19. But out of an abundance of caution he would be distanced from the team for an as yet undetermined amount of time.
Taking his place on the roster was outfielder Cristian Pache, the Braves' top-ranked prospect according to MLB.com. He was assigned No. 14 and is expected to be available Tuesday night against Washington.
Markakis, 36, came back to the Braves on a tear. Through 11 games, he was hitting .353 with an OPS of 1.039. His two doubles Monday night pushed his career total to 505, one away from Babe Ruth, who is No. 58 on the all-time list.
Meanwhile, Pache has been an intriguing prospect almost since the moment of his signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, at the age of 16. He split time between Double- and Triple-A last season, and combined, hit .277 with 12 home runs.
