Red Sox Notebook: Bobby Dalbec making his way back from COVID-19

Bobby Dalbec, one of four known Red Sox players who has tested positive for COVID-19, spoke with reporters Wednesday for the first time Wednesday and detailed his experience.

"I originally tested positive on June 8 (while home in Arizona),'' said Dalbec, "and I was asymptomatic the entire time -- no spike in fever, never felt tired, no body aches, nothing. I had my taste and smell the whole time. I consider myself lucky the way I did get it was that way. I was fortunate. Other than that, I felt good the whole time and was ready to get back playing and doing my thing.''

Dalbec was quarantined upon arrival in Boston on June 30, limited to his hotel room for more than a week before finally going through the MLB intake program and getting the go-ahead to return. Dalbec was cleared to resume workouts Saturday at the Boston College facility and rejoined his teammates Sunday at Fenway. He's yet to take part in an intrasquad game as he builds back his conditioning.

"It felt good coming back,'' said Dalbec. "I was a little bit tired the first day running, but it's coming back really quick so I'm excited to keep progressing. I'm not really sure (when I'll be in games again). I'm just kind of taking it one day at a time, getting my work done, trying to get extra work when I can. Whenever they deem that I'm ready to play again, I'll do that.''



Since returning, Dalbec has been careful during his interactions with others at Fenway.

"Obviously, it's a serious thing,'' said Dalbec of the pandemic, "and the last thing I want is anyone on the team to feel uncomfortable with me being around. I think the staff addressed everyone very well. They weren't going to let me come back if I wasn't good to go. The doctors, the joint committee, they're not going cut any corners. They're going to be certain that I'm good to come back. I think they all realize that. I'm not going up to anyone right away if I make them feel uncomfortable. So I just kind of speak when spoken to and get my work in.''

Dalbec is the organization's top power prospect, but the minor league season is canceled and it seems unlikely that he'll be part of the major league roster this season. Still, working out at McCoy Stadium with the rest of the players in the Player Pool is better development time than being at home.

"Obviously, it's tough missing out on however many at-bats,'' he said. "But there's ways to get work in and develop. I'll focus on those things and not what could have been.''

_____________________

Meanwhile, the Red Sox officially placed the three other players who had previously tested positive -- Eduardo Rodriguez, Josh Taylor and Darwinzon Hernandez -- on the IL, without specifying the reason. Players on the IL because of COVID-19 don't have to spend a minimum or maximum amount of time sidelined and don't count against the 60-man Player Pool.

In theory, then, the Sox are now at 47 players with these moves, with the knowledge that they will announce at least five more players (Jeter Downs, Jarren Duran, Jay Groome, Bryan Mata and Tanner Houck) to the list Friday.

That designation guarantees that Rodriguez will not be the opening night starter, a fact that's been fairly obvious for some time. Instead, Nathan Eovaldi will get that honor.

____________________

Martin Perez, in his second intrasquad start, was belted around for three runs in the first inning before settling down and getting through five innings. He threw 78 pitches, 56 of them for strikes.

Perez has been hit hard both times out, but believes some of that is attributable to the fact that the team's hitters -- many of whom continued to hit during the shutdown and are now hitting in warm weather -- are ahead of where they would usually be in a standard spring training.

"Our hitters are ready,'' said Perez. "Right now it's good to face hitters especially when they look good and have good swings and are ready to go. That means that they can put me on another level, a level where I want to be to compete in two weeks. I felt that today. Our guys are ready and they gave me a chance to compete at the same time. That was good. I had fun facing my teammates. They gave more chances to work on location and stuff.''

"The offense is swinging so well that I keep asking -- is it just that our offense is so good or are we not pitching as well?'' said Ron Roenicke. "It may be a combination of both. But to have this many guys hot this early surprises me because I kind of felt like we'd slowly get into this. I felt like (when we got to) the last few weeks. You can go down the list -- it's J.D. (Martinez), it's (Andrew Benintendi), it's Jackie (Bradley Jr.), it's (Kevin Pillar), (Jose) Peraza...it just keeps going.

"We know we were going to have a good offense. We know we're deep offensively. So everybody's getting to the point where I think they're ready to start playing games.''

__________________

Roenicke indicated that he would prefer to start the season with 15 position players and 15 pitchers, though he said that could be subject to change. Teams will be allowed an expanded roster of 30 for the first two weeks before that's reduced to 28, and then two weeks later, 26, which will be in place for the remainder of the season...The Red Sox officially announced the signing of fourth-round pick Jeremy Wu-Yelland. Wu-Yelland pitched for the University of Hawaii and made 40 appearances for the school over three years...The Red Sox finished expanding the home dugout on the first base side, with a frame covered by a tent, allowing players and coaches more room to socially distance from one another. The same effort is underway for the visitor's dugout on the third-base side.