Another Yankees support staff member tests positive for COVID-19

BALTIMORE — When it comes to their COVID-19 outbreak, the Yankees aren’t completely in the clear after all.

After two straight days with no returning positives, a ninth member of their traveling party — another member of their support staff — tested positive, Aaron Boone announced Sunday morning.

"We’re just doing the best we can with it," he said. "Fortunately, he’s another one that feels good, so we’ll just continue to try and be vigilant and handle it as best we can."

The Yankees had a cascade of cases earlier in the week during their series in St. Petersburg, Florida. They disclosed three positive cases on Tuesday and another four on Wednesday. Gleyber Torres, the lone player to test positive, joined the list on Thursday.

The Yankees have acknowledged pitching coach Matt Blake, third base coach Phil Nevin and first base coach Reggie Willits as positives. They have not named the support staff members to have tested positive.

All of those testing positive while the team was in St. Petersburg are quarantining in the Tampa area. The staff member testing positive here is in quarantine in Baltimore.

The club has called on a variety of people in their organization to fill in for the absent, including bench coach Carlos Mendoza filling in at third for Nevin and Yankees coordinator of baseball development Mario Garza, who is based in Tampa, coaching first. Longtime bullpen coach Mike Harkey has been fulfilling the majority of Blake’s responsibilities and Boone said "we do have someone coming in today" to help out after the most recent positive.

"I’m probably just as concerned as I was a couple of days ago," Gerrit Cole, slated to start Monday night against the Rangers, said Sunday morning. "I really didn’t [take] it for granted that we were out of the woods. But we have a lot of capable people that have been stepping up to the plate lately, so we’ll look to continue just moving forward."