The reality of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to hang over the Cleveland Indians and the rest of Major League Baseball.
COVID-19 protocols remain in place and players are expected to follow the rules to keep each other safe.
Two Indians players are now away from the team after breaking protocols.
Terry Francona confirms that Franmil Reyes and José Ramírez are away from the team for breaking COVID-19 protocols. On Friday, Reyes got a haircut and the two went to dinner and ate inside a restaurant. Tito hopes to know when they can return later today.
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) March 7, 2021
Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes are now waiting to learn when they can return to the team.
More on the Violations
Fans can argue back and forth about this violation all they want.
But the fact remains that both players broke clear rules that were put in place.
There is an expectation they follow those rules and they will have to deal with the consequences of their actions.
One note about this situation is that they did self-report what they did.
Francona added that Reyes and Ramirez self reported the violation of the COVID-19 protocols.
— Ryan Lewis (@ByRyanLewis) March 7, 2021
That is at least one small positive from all of this.
The main negative is the fact both players disrespected their teammates, coaches, and the organization.
No matter one’s view on the protocols, they acted like they were above the rules.
Does this warrant an extreme punishment?
No, that is not necessary.
But hopefully both players realize this cannot happen again.
This is especially frustrating with Reyes because he violated the rules last season when the situation was far more dire.
Moving on From These Violations
The next step for the team and both players is figuring out when they can return.
Some sort of quarantine and testing will likely take place before either are cleared.
The main takeaway here is the players breaking agreed upon rules.
Going out to dinner, if done in a safe manner, may not seem like a big deal to some individuals.
But once again, these players are making a lot of money and are expected to follow the rules in place.
This brings up memories of last season when both Zach Plesac and Mike Clevinger broke protocols while on a road trip.
Clevinger even lied about his involvement initially and his teammates were not happy.
Ramirez and Reyes don’t seem like bad people or bad teammates.
But they will have to earn back the trust of the entire organization.
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