YANKEES CORONAVIRUS UPDATES & THE 2020 OPT OUT

This weekend was a hard one. This fourth of July holiday weekend looked a lot different than others. I keep reminding myself that it's not different just for us but for all players and every single team. The hope of baseball is now linked to consistent testing for Coronavirus and enhanced health and safety measures. Both of those we saw center stage over the weekend at Yankee stadium.

I'm really hoping for the best for Masahiro Tanaka. We've been so focused on Coronavirus, but the reality of getting hit by a comeback pitch is still as likely today as it was before Coronavirus and we were reminded of that. The same dangers surrounding baseball are still there...and now new ones. Reports say that Tanaka was showing concussion symptoms that have since subsided, thankfully but Tanaka will indeed go into concussion protocol. Definitely not the exciting news we were looking for as Spring Training 2.0 is now underway. Now we sit and wait and hope for good news.

In the meantime, as Tanaka recovers we get other results that hit close to home. As the Yankees completed their first round of Coronavirus tests of many to come....we hear that Luis Cessa and DJ LeMahieu have both tested positive, read more HERE. While Cessa was experiencing "mild symptoms" LeMahieu is asymptomatic, reminding us how scary this virus is. It's hard to fight and protect others from what you can't see. LeMahieu won't be the last, there will be more. So the next few weeks and months are going to be hard for baseball.

It is hard enough that some players have exercised their option to not participate in the 2020 season, and now that we have our first big names to opt out who will be next? Or who is on the fence?

David Price and Felix Hernandez are not playing this season. Price is a huge loss for the Dodgers who expected Price to be a good addition for another run at the World Series. No Yankees have opted out yet, but could that change?

Maybe but I hope not. Mike Trout is one of the biggest names in baseball, and he is considering not playing this season. He and his wife are expecting their first child soon, and is concerned with their health and safety. Yesterday Sean Doolittle and Buster Posey also said he has reservations about playing and will continue to evaluate and will opt out if they feel it is necessary, read more HERE.

These are unprecedented times for sure. We still want baseball to happen, perhaps now more than ever....but what if some of our favorites or big names in the game decide to sit this season out? If the big names don't play how does this affect the game? I know I am still going to watch no matter what, but it is definitely going to be a big change.

This season isn't going to be easy, but I think Aaron Boone is right....we are as hungry as ever. The Yankees will find a way to rise to the challenge, and baseball will find a way to persevere.

Keep your fingers crossed for Tanaka, LeMahieu and Cessa!

--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj