Red Sox face COVID-19 outbreak prior to Patriot Day game

The Boston Red Sox are dealing with a potential COVID outbreak ahead of Patriot Day on Monday, with catcher Kevin Plawecki having tested positive for COVID.

While Patriot Day is a day to celebrate all things Boston, the Boston Red Sox could be in the midst of a potential COVID-19 outbreak.

ESPN’s Joon Lee reported that Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki and two members of the team’s staff have tested positive for coronavirus. Lee made sure to note that Plawecki is vaccinated, which means he will not have to be away from the team for as long as an unvaccinated player would be. Boston hosts the Minnesota Twins on Patriot Day before welcoming the Toronto Blue Jays to town Tuesday night.

This may not be a big deal for the Red Sox, but it is at least a situation worth monitoring for now.

Boston Red Sox facing possible COVID outbreak ahead of Patriot Day game

While any player has the right to choose if the gets the COVID vaccine or not, no division will be more impacted by a player’s vaccination status than those playing in the AL East. This is because players who are not vaccinated will not be able to play road games vs. the Toronto Blue Jays. Given that the Red Sox are division rivals with the Blue Jays, unvaccinated Red Sox players would be absent from those games, giving their team a distinct disadvantage.

Ultimately, the more players who are vaccinated, the less of an issue this will be. The virus is much less punitive than it was in April 2021. While testing protocols could be altered as they have been in the other major sports, unless Toronto amends their vaccine policy the way that New York City has, an unvaccinated  Red Sox player will not be able to take on the Blue Jays north of the border. Keep in mind how precious every game will matter in this division.

Boston enters Patriot Day with a 5-4 record, trailing Toronto by half a game in the AL East race.