Trout, Kershaw skeptical of quarantined games

[April 16, 2020]  Mike Trout has major concerns about the possibility of players being quarantined if the baseball season moves forward once the coronavirus outbreak slows.

The Los Angeles Angels superstar told NBC Sports Network on Wednesday that the idea of being confined to hotels and ballparks is "pretty crazy."

Among the plans reportedly being discussed include all 30 teams playing in the Phoenix area or half the teams competing in Arizona with the other 15 located in Florida.

Regardless of the plan, Trout sees major trouble spots.

"I obviously want to play as fast as we can. Get to a city, maybe Arizona, they're throwing out Florida ... but being quarantined in a city, I was reading for -- if we play -- a couple of months, it would be difficult for some guys," Trout said.

"What are you going to do with family members? My wife is pregnant, what am I going to do when she goes into labor -- am I going to have to quarantine for two weeks after I come back? Obviously I can't miss the birth of our first child. There are a lot of red flags, there are a lot of questions."

Trout feels heavy discussions will have to take place and players will have to feel comfortable moving forward and, in essence, saving the season.

"Obviously we would have to agree on it as players," Trout said. "I think the mentality is that we want to get back as soon as we can. But it has to be realistic. It can't be sitting in our hotel rooms and just going from the field to the hotel room and not being able to do anything. I think that's pretty crazy."

Any plan also would include regular testing to make sure players, coaches and anybody else at the ballparks -- the bulk of the games would be played at spring training sites -- don't come down with COVID-19.

The three-time American League MVP and isn't the only prominent player skeptical about the proposals floating around.

Angels center fielder Mike Trout runs past an outfield sign before playing the New York Yankees in their MLB American League game at Yankee Stadium in New York, August 12, 2013. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine

Los Angeles Dodgers ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw is glad to see solutions are being discussed, but the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner told SportsNet LA that he is adamantly opposed to being away from his wife and three children, including January-born son Cooper.

"Well, I have two thoughts. One is I think it's great that we're trying to figure something out. That's awesome," Kershaw said. "Continuing to work together and figure it out.

"I will say that situation (of quarantined players), I just don't see that happening. I'm not going to be away from my family and not see them for 4 1/2 months. I just talked about how much Cooper changes over one week, so to miss four months of his life right now, I'm just not going to do it.

"And there's a lot of other things that are just wrong with that proposal. But it's not to say we can't go somewhere with it. There's just a lot of things they're going to have to figure out before I go quarantine myself with my team for four months."

Kershaw also expressed that he only wants to see the season start once it is safe for everyone involved.

--Field Level Media

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