Diamondbacks right-handers Junior Guerra and Silvino Bracho have checked positive for the coronavirus, manager Torey Lovullo informed reporters (consisting of The Athletics Zach Buchanan and The Arizona Republics Nick Piecoro) today. Guerra and Bracho “are asymptomatic and feel terrific,” Lovullo said. “Theyre in the procedure, theyre doing what they can, taking care of what they can in your home and healing up.”
Less than a week after being non-tendered by the Brewers last December, Guerra signed an one-year handle the DBacks worth $2.65 MM in ensured money, and the club holds an option on his services for the 2021 season. The 35-year-old published a 3.55 ERA, 2.14 K/BB rate, and 8.3 K/9 over 83 2/3 innings in 2019, working solely as a reliever for the very first time in his career. Presuming a complete healing from COVID-19, Guerra is expected to offer the DBacks with a durable bullpen arm, and his ability to chew innings will be particularly useful in a shortened season as beginning pitchers return up to speed.
While Buchanan noted that these arent new tests, it isnt clear if Guerra or Bracho was one of the unknown gamers within the organization who evaluated favorable last month. Because a favorable test features a compulsory quarantine duration of a minimum of 2 weeks, the timing of the tests will factor into when the 2 hurlers will be able to return to the field. If they remain asymptomatic, Guerra and Bracho will each need to deliver two unfavorable COVID-19 tests prior to being cleared for Summer Camp.
Brachos involvement in the 2020 season was already up in the air, as it was revealed last week that he had suffered a problem in his healing from Tommy John surgical treatment, and had been positioned on Arizonas 60-day hurt list. Bracho underwent his surgical treatment in March 2019, so it is especially regrettable that this obstacle appeared simply as the right-hander would have been intending to be all set for Opening Day. Bracho published a 4.67 ERA, 2.82 K/BB rate, and 9.4 K/9 over 88 2/3 relief innings for the Diamondbacks from 2015-18, with the 2018 project showing appealing career bests for Bracho in both ERA (3.19) and HR/9 (0.6) over 31 innings pitched.
