CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is a segment from the Thursday, May 12, 2022, episode of The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.
One day after their game against the Chicago White Sox was postponed due to multiple COVID-19 cases in the clubhouse, the Cleveland Guardians have announced that they are placing seven coaches, including manager Terry Francona, in MLB's Health and Safety protocols.
The complete list of Guardians coaches currently in the league's Health and Safety protocols includes:
- Manager Terry Francona
- Bench Coach DeMarlo Hale
- Hitting Coach Chris Valaika
- Asst Pitching Coach Joe Torres
- First Base Coach Sandy Alomar
- Third Base Coach Mike Sarbaugh
- Major League Hitting Analyst Justin Toole
The Guardians also announced that pitching coach Carl Willis will serve as the team's acting manager for this weekend's series with the Minnesota Twins. After Cleveland's game against Chicago -- which has since been rescheduled for a split doubleheader on July 23 -- was postponed on Wednesday, the team had a day off on Thursday, with this weekend's three-game series in Minnesota set to begin on Friday.
“As a result of recent events, numerous members of our Major League coaching staff are currently in MLB Health and Safety protocols," the team said in a statement. "We continue to test team personnel and conduct contract tracing for the affected individuals. Carl Willis will serve as acting manager this weekend in Minneapolis and will be supported by other individuals throughout the organization until the members of our coaching staff are able to rejoin the team.”