#Cleveland Indians punish Zach Plesac for going out, breaking MLB protocol

The Cleveland Indians sent starting pitcher Zach Plesac home to quarantine after he went out Saturday night with friends in Chicago following his victory over the White Sox, according to a report.

Plesac will be required to quarantine for 72 hours and test for the coronavirus daily, The Athletic reported. The team had him drive home in a rental car, according to ESPN.

The 25-year-old’s excursion broke MLB’s recently revised coronavirus protocols, which in part requires players and staff members to gain permission from a compliance officer to leave the team’s hotel for any reason while on the road.

The guidelines were set in place after the Marlins and Cardinals suffered outbreaks less than three weeks into the abbreviated 60-game season, disrupting multiple teams’ schedules.

St. Louis last played on July 29 due to nine players and seven staff members testing positive for the virus, and their upcoming series against the Pittsburgh Pirates has been postponed “in light of most recent positive test results,” MLB said.  The Marlins, who had 18 players contract the virus, resumed games Aug. 4 after a nine-day absence and are first place in the NL East with a 7-3 record.

Both of those teams have denied reports that players visiting bars, casinos and even a strip club caused their outbreaks.

It was unclear where Plesac went or if he was wearing a mask, which MLB requires all players and staffers do when not on the field.

Cleveland similarly banned outfielder Franmil Reyes during spring training 2.0 after photos on social media showed him attending a July 4 party without a mask, according to The Athletic.

Reyes required two negative tests before returning to the team.

Shortly before Reyes’ team-issued suspension, Plesac told reporters, “Going out to the bars and drinking or doing stuff like that isn’t something that’s really important to us right now and it shouldn’t be important to us right now when we’re given this privilege to be able to come back and play.”

Plesac, an Indiana native, is 1-1 this season with a 1.29 ERA.