CLEVELAND — Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria woke up Monday with “a slight cough and nasal congestion” and will be kept away from the team pending the results of medical tests.
Bench coach Joe McEwing will manage the White Sox until the team learns more about Renteria’s condition. Monday’s opener of a three-game set at Cleveland was postponed by rain and will be made up Tuesday as part of a traditional doubleheader.
General manager Rick Hahn released a statement saying the 58-year-old Renteria was taken to a Cleveland hospital for evaluation and tests.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Ricky will remain at the team hotel and not manage until we receive confirmation of today’s test result,” Hahn said.
The team did not say if Renteria, who is in his fourth season as White Sox manager, was being tested for the coronavirus.
Before Monday’s postponement, McEwing said on a video conference call that he spoke to Renteria several times and that “he feels great, feels fine. Just being very cautious.”
The White Sox announced on July 5 they had two players test positive for the coronavirus. The team never identified the players, but star third baseman Yoan Moncada revealed his positive test result after he rejoined the team.
“We’re just continuing to focus on what we’re doing, taking the correct measures to keep everyone as safe as we possibly can,” McEwing said. “As an organization and as training staff we’ve done a pretty good job so far, and hopefully it continues that way.”
McEwing is satisfied the team has been following the proper procedures to handle a potential outbreak, something every team fears.
“Major League Baseball and us as an organization have done a fantastic job of monitoring this daily,” he said. “We’re getting our temperatures taken three times a day. If we have symptoms we’re getting checked right away, so we are monitoring closely on a daily basis everybody who has been in contact with anyone who has symptoms and taking the correct measures.”
White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez was not in the lineup that was posted before the series opener was rained out, but McEwing said he was feeling better. Jimenez left Sunday’s 14-2 loss to Minnesota because he was feeling light headed.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.