Cleveland Indians pitcher Zach Plesac — along with teammate Mike Clevinger — have been quarantined from the team after they were caught breaking MLB’s COVID-19 protocols during a weekend series in Chicago.
Plesac was out with friends and didn’t return until the early morning hours. And in Clevinger’s case, the team didn’t realize Clevinger had also broken protocol until they had already flown back to Cleveland. It was a terrible look for both players, especially when the Cardinals are still dealing with a team-wide outbreak. You’d think other players would take it more seriously.
But on Thursday, Plesac posted a long Instagram video to tell his side of the story. In doing so, he blamed the media for how he and Clevinger had been portrayed.
The rant didn’t go over well with his manager’s son, Nick, though.
Nick — the son of Indians manager Terry Francona — took to Twitter on Thursday and shared the six-plus minute video, telling Plesac to “shut the (expletive) up until he can demonstrate he isn’t an oxygen thief.”
In his video, Plesac said that the media was “terrible.” He also claimed that he followed Ohio’s health guidelines (he was in Illinois while breaking MLB’s rules) by going out to dinner with a group of eight buddies and then going back to someone’s home.
Plus, shooting an entire six-minute video while driving probably wasn’t the best way to demonstrate a serious appreciation for public health.
Instead of blaming the media, Plesac should probably focus on mending a damaged relationship with his teammates. That video won’t help.
