Nick Markakis opts out of MLB season after conversation with COVID-19 infected Freddie Freeman

Nick Markakis opted out of the 2020 MLB season due to COVID-19, and a conversation with a teammate influenced him greatly.

MLB’s battle with COVID-19 is just beginning, as teams around baseball are disappointed in the availability and return time of testing stemming from the holiday weekend. Several teams have closed camps until they receive their results, while other players have bailed on the season altogether.

Braves outfielder Nick Markakis is one of the latter group. The veteran outfielder became the second player on the roster to opt out of the 2020 season, joining Felix Hernandez. The 36-year-old revealed a conversation with Freddie Freeman, who has contracted the virus, influenced his decision greatly.

Nick Markakis becomes the second Atlanta Brave to opt out of the 2020 MLB season.

Markakis made the All-Star team as recently as 2018, and is a key veteran member of the clubhouse, respected by the likes of talented youngsters Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña. The Braves are among the hardest-hit teams by the pandemic thus far, and should Freeman miss significant time (more than just 2-3 weeks), there’s no telling how far they may fall in the MLB power rankings.

Of course, given the rising COVID-19 cases across the country, there are more pressing matters to deal with. A conversation between Markakis and Freeman made that fact very obvious.

“I was excited to get back to playing just as much as everybody else… I think the biggest thing is I talked to Freddie Freeman and just hearing the way he sounded on the phone just opened my eyes,” Markakis said.

All of MLB’s finest would prefer to play, there’s no second-guessing that fact. But they must consider their own safety, and the health of their families. Unlike the NBA and NHL, players won’t be participating in a bubble scenario of sorts, instead traveling on the road in between controlled environments. This makes them susceptible to an infection, and seeing some of MLB’s best suffering through it already doesn’t help their cause.