Mets shut down minor-league instructional camp after two positive COVID-19 tests
A general view of Clover Park prior to a spring training game between the Cardinals and the Mets on March 4, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: Getty Images/Joel Auerbach
The coronavirus pandemic is not done messing with the Mets’ 2020.
The team shut down its minor-league instructional camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida, after a pair of players tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, three sources said Saturday.
Additional testing has not yielded additional positives.
The 60-player camp began Oct. 3 and did not have any cases of coronavirus through four weeks. But when two popped up, the Mets suspended all activity indefinitely, pending the results of further testing.
The Mets view the instructional camp, a spring training-like atmosphere at the organization’s sprawling minor-league complex, as critical to the development of the players involved. Because the pandemic canceled the minor-league season, these minor-leaguers have had little to no formal baseball practice this year.
The camp is scheduled to last two more weeks.
Among those attending are most of the Mets’ top prospects: catcher Francisco Alvarez, shortstop Ronny Mauricio, righthander Matthew Allan, outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, third baseman Brett Baty, righthander J.T. Ginn, outfielder Isaiah Greene and third baseman Mark Vientos.
The Mets also are putting on an instructional camp for 40 international players at their Dominican Republic complex starting Monday through Dec. 10.
The major-league Mets dealt with the coronavirus, too. Relievers Brad Brach and Jared Hughes tested positive at the start of camp in early July, and the entire team was sidelined for five days in August after catcher Tomas Nido and a coach tested positive while the team was in Miami.
