Yanks minor leaguer tests positive for coronavirus

A New York Yankees minor league player has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first known baseball player affected by the outbreak, the team confirmed.

The player, who did not spend any time on the major league side of the Yankees’ spring-training facility in Tampa, Florida, was quarantined Friday after he developed a fever, according to a team spokesman.

On Sunday morning, Yankees player development director Kevin Reese texted minor league players informing them of the positive test. The text said the player is recovering well and that the organization is in contact with department of health officials to figure out the next steps. The Yankees’ minor league staff will participate in a conference call to discuss plans at some point Sunday, a source told ESPN’s Marly Rivera.

The Yankees were among the teams whose major league players had resolved to stay in camp amid the coronavirus outbreak. Major League Baseball in a memo Sunday said major league players would be allowed to stay in camps “but we anticipate that may change in the coming days as events continue to unfold and players become better educated about current conditions.”