Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant has issues with MLB’s coronavirus testing protocols, saying his team gets tested too infrequently.
“I don’t want to be insensitive to people who haven’t been able to get tests but as the country gets access to more of those, it’s appropriate to talk about our situation here,” Bryant said on Monday afternoon from Wrigley Field. “What we agreed to was testing every other day and we’ve had guys who showed up on Sunday (June 28) and hadn’t got tested again (until) seven days later. And you don’t get the results until two days later. That’s nine days without knowing.
“If we want this to succeed, we have to figure this out. I wanted to play this year because I thought it would be safe. Honestly, I don’t really feel that.”
Bryant’s fears echo those of many around the league as teams have canceled or delay workouts while the league sorts out testing issues. Cubs’ manager David Ross took matters into his own hands.
“I voiced my opinion to MLB and they assured me they are working as diligently as they can,” Ross stated. “They assured me they are cleaning things up.
“When my players are asking to be tested more, a red flag goes off in my head.”
Bryant had a baby during the shutdown and is worried about bringing home the virus but decided against opting out, thinking the protocols would keep him safe — if they’re being followed. He stressed that tougher days are ahead once teams start to travel.
“If we can’t really nail the easy part — which is right now — just our players, we have a big problem,” he said. “I go home every day and I just think, what if I were to get it and bring it home. It would be awful. There’s so much that could go wrong.”
The Cubs third baseman is set to be a free agent after the 2021 season but perhaps has a different mindset between having a newborn and dealing with the pandemic. He was asked if signing a long term deal was more in the cards now than previously.
“I would say ‘yeah,'” Bryant said. “You look at things differently. I feel like I’m a lot more calm. Things that really matter to me before, don’t matter to me as much….If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
Before anything else can happen, the league has to get through a unique season. There are many doubters.
“It’s not guaranteed that we’re going to play and finish the season,” Bryant stated. “Everyone involved kind of knows that. We have to do more and do what we agreed to.”
Ross added: “The protocols they have in place are for a reason. They need to get these tests done.”