White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu tests positive for coronavirus

MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu of Cienfuegos, Cuba has tested positive for coronavirus according to the Associated Press on Wednesday. Abreu is reportedly currently asymptomatic, but it is not known at this time how long he will be away from the White Sox organization.

Considered one of the most prolific hitters in Major League Baseball at this time, Abreu is coming off a sensational 2020 regular season where he was the American League Most Valuable Player. He led the Majors with 60 runs batted in and 148 total bases. Abreu also led the American League with 76 hits and a .617 slugging percentage. In 60 games, 240 at bats, and 262 plate appearances, Abreu also scored 43 runs, and had 15 doubles, 18 walks, one sacrifice fly, a batting average of .317, and an on-base percentage of .370.

The three-time All-Star who was also the 2014 American League Rookie of the Year, also won his third American League Silver Slugger Award in 2020. He previously won in 2014 and 2018.

In his rookie season, Abreu led the Major Leagues with a .581 slugging percentage. He then led the American League with 343 total bases in 2017, and then the American League with 123 runs batted in, and 10 sacrifice flies in 2019.

Abreu tested positive at the White Sox spring training complex in Arizona. There have been 811,968 cases of coronavirus in Arizona, with 15,693 deaths. Arizona also has had 114, 855 people recovered from the disease, while there are 681,420 active cases. Arizona actually has the fourth most active cases among all American states. The only states with more active cases are California (1,649, 546), New York (892,802), and Florida (770, 584).

Also in 2020, Abreu also batted .286 with one home run and two runs batted in during 14 postseason at bats, his first time in the American League playoffs. Abreu also scored one run, had one double, and eight total bases, as the White Sox lost two games to one to the Oakland Athletics in the American League best-of-three Wildcard Series.

 

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