Elephant Rumblings: Positive coronavirus test stalls Oakland A’s instructional league

Good morning afternoon, Athletics Nation! We’ll get back to mornings on these posts soon. The big news for Thursday already came out before this published, with Matt Olson and Ramon Laureano being named finalists for Gold Glove awards, but we’ll get to that in a separate post.

Here is Wednesday’s news.

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Just as the Oakland A’s minor leaguers were getting back in action after their entire regular season was canceled, they are once again on hold for at least a few days. The A’s instructional league was shut down due to a positive coronavirus test, reports Susan Slusser of the S.F. Chronicle.

As usual regarding the virus, the team was not at liberty to reveal who tested positive, unless that individual chooses to share the information publicly.

The hiatus will last until at least Friday, notes Slusser. Perhaps the A’s themselves can serve as a relevant precedent — when they had a positive test this season, they sat out five days and missed four games, but then were able to resume play when it didn’t spread to anyone else.

World Series update

The Series is tied! After taking a beating in Game 1, the Tampa Bay Rays bounced back in a Game 2 victory. They took an early lead and held it, winning 6-4 over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Brandon Lowe got things started in the 1st inning, homering on the 12th pitch of the game. The Rays picked up two more in the 4th on a double by former A’s prospect Joey Wendle, and then Lowe homered again in the 5th to make it 5-0. The Dodgers answered back with a few runs of their own, including dingers by Chris Taylor, Will Smith, and Corey Seager, but Wendle got one back with a sac fly — he and Lowe accounted for all of Tampa Bay’s RBI, with three apiece.

Both teams made heavy use of their bullpens, with the two starters combining to throw just six innings total. Los Angeles in particular used starter Dustin May in relief, which was expected, though he was ineffective and served up Lowe’s second long ball.

For more details, check out the Rays recap from DRaysBay, and the Dodgers recap from True Blue LA. Here’s the remaining schedule (all times Pacific, all TV broadcasts on Fox):

• Game 1: Dodgers win, 8-3
• Game 2: Rays win, 6-4
• Game 3: Fri, Oct. 23, 5 p.m.
• Game 4: Sat, Oct. 24, 5 p.m.
• Game 5: Sun, Oct. 25, 5 p.m.
• Game 6: Tue, Oct. 27, 5 p.m.
• Game 7: Wed, Oct. 28, 5 p.m.

It’s now a best-of-5, basically. After an off-day Thursday, the Game 3 starters on Friday are Walker Buehler (for the “visiting” Dodgers) and Charlie Morton (for the “home” Rays).

A’s Coverage

• Green and Bold podcast: Joe Stiglich and guest David Feldman discuss A’s offseason
• Slusser: A’s instructional league team shut down after positive coronavirus test ($)
• Kawahara: Will A’s outfield have a spot to fill in 2021? Can Khris Davis regain his DH form? ($)
• Shea: Former A’s prospect Joey Wendle pays World Series dividends in Game 2 for Rays ($)
• Lockard: Grading Matt Chapman and the 2020 A’s third basemen ($$$)

MLB News & Interest

• Nelson Cruz and Freddie Freeman win top honors in 2020 Players Choice Awards Presented by Topps
• MLB: 2020 Gold Glove finalists unveiled
• Kelly: BBWAA announces awards week schedule
• Blum: Manfred hopes to keep expanded playoffs, runner on second in extras beyond 2020
• Camerato: Josh Harrison stays with Nats on 1-year contract
• Poole: Reggie Jackson says line should be drawn for brash MLB stars
• Brown: ‘It’s not only me who is hurting’: 6 amazing stories about 6 Hall of Famers ($$$)
• Today in Baseball History

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