Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Austin Meadows of Atlanta, GA has tested positive for coronavirus according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday. The loss of Meadows for any period of time is a significant loss for Tampa Bay.
In 2019, Meadows batted .291 with 33 home runs and 89 runs batted in (all career highs), and was an All-Star for the first time in his career. In his first complete Major League Baseball season, Meadows also set career-highs in runs (83), hits (154), doubles (29), triples (seven), stolen bases (12), on base percentage (.364), slugging percentage (.558) and total bases (296). He led the Rays in batting average, runs scored, home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage and total bases.
Meadows is not the only Rays player with coronavirus. Left-handed starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow of Newhall, CA just recently rejoined Tampa Bay after missing 11 days with the disease. Glasnow had an outstanding 2019 regular season with Tampa Bay as he posted a record of six wins and one loss, to go along with a stingy earned run average of 1.78.
Ironically, Glasnow and Meadows were both traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to Tampa Bay on July 31, 2018 for Chris Archer and Shane Baz. The deal could be considered as one of the very best deals in the history of the Tampa Bay Rays organization, and one of the worst deals in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. During his time in Pittsburgh, Archer has struggled mightily as he only has a record of six wins and 12 losses, with an earned run average of 4.92.
In other Rays news, Tampa Bay has added left-handed relief pitcher Aaron Loup to their roster according to CBS Sports. Loup now joins his fourth Major League Baseball team as he previously played with the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres. In 2019, Loup had an earned run average of 0.00 in three and a third innings pitched in San Diego.
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