Blue Jays’ Teoscar Hernandez tests positive for COVID-19

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to manager Charlie Montoyo.

Hernandez, who began experiencing symptoms on Monday, will be out at least the next 10 days.

The Blue Jays initially assigned Hernandez to the COVID-19 injured list on April 9 after he was exposed to someone who had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Now that he has tested positive himself, Hernandez “will need to complete a 10-day quarantine, demonstrate an improvement of any symptoms, undergo a cardiac evaluation and receive clearance from both team physicians and MLB’s Joint COVID-19 Health/Safety Committee” before he can re-join the team, according to Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling.

Montoyo added that the 10-day quarantine begins on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old was last in contact with the rest of team on April 9, when he was in the lineup against the Angels, according to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. Since then, the rest of the roster has tested negative multiple times and many of the players and staff have begun to be vaccinated.

Hernandez, who won a Silver Slugger award last season, is hitting .207/.207/.310 with one home run in seven games this season.

In other Blue Jays injury news, George Springer’s debut with the team has been further pushed back, according to Montoyo. The team’s biggest off-season addition will now not travel on the upcoming road trip through Kansas City, Boston and Tampa, making April 27 against the Washington Nationals now the target for his first game.

Springer is currently recovering from a quad strain, which he suffered during his rehab of a spring training oblique injury.

Finally, right-hander Nate Pearson is progressing well from a spring-training groin injury and will throw one inning of live batting practice Wednesday, according to Montoyo. General manager Ross Atkins, during an appearance on MLB Network’s High Heat Tuesday, said Pearson is “pain free” and will be able to make a start once he is stretched out.

“He’s feeling incredible right now,” Atkins said.