Major League Baseball on Thursday refuted the accusation of Boston Red Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe that the league told the team to stop conducting COVID-19 tests amid the outbreak that was spreading through the team clubhouse.
“Basically, MLB told us to stop testing and just treat the symptoms,” Refroe said early Thursday on WEEI’s “Merloni and Fauria” program. “And we thought, ‘No, we’re going to find out what’s going on and keep trying to keep that under control.'”
Presenter Lou Merloni asked him if MLB had asked the Red Sox to stop testing.
“Yes,” Renfroe said.
“And to try to play, move on and not worry about it?” Merloni asked.
“Yes,” Renfroe said.
Renfroe “is completely wrong and inaccurate,” a league spokesman told the Boston Globe.
The Red Sox also refuted Renfroe’s comments.
“We’ve been following MLB’s COVID-19 protocols all season,” the team said in a statement. “We have closely consulted with them everything we have done and continue to do tests, and their medical staff has been a great support.”
As of Thursday, nine people on the team tested positive for the virus, and 11 more were marginalized due to symptoms or close contact with positive cases. Players who were left out include Xander Bogaerts, Enrique Hernandez, Christian Arroyo, Matt Barnes and Nick Pivetta.
Boston is below the 85 percent vaccination threshold at the clubhouse, although some of the players who tested positive are vaccinated.