New York Yankees star right-hander Gerrit Cole tested positive for COVID-19 and was scratched from his scheduled start on Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone announced late Monday night.
“As for now, he is the only one to test positive,” Boone said after the Yankees’ 7-1 loss to the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
According to Boone, Cole learned of the positive test result in the second inning of Monday’s game.
The Yankees sit in third place in the American League East, seven games out of first place, and are three games out of the second AL wild-card berth.
They were without Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela, Kyle Higashioka and three other players in late July due to COVID-19 protocols.
Cole is in his second season in New York after signing a nine-year contract worth $324 million. He is 10-6 with a 3.11 ERA in 21 starts, though he lost each of his past two outings.
The Yankees’ starter on Tuesday against Baltimore will be left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr., Boone said. Cortes has made three starts among 11 appearances this season. Overall, he has no decisions while pitching to a 1.93 ERA in 32 2/3 innings.
