#Yankees put Clay Holmes on COVID IL as ‘aggravating’ outbreak drags on

KANSAS CITY — The Yankees yet again have been impacted by coronavirus, as right-hander Clay Holmes was added to the COVID IL on Wednesday.

Holmes reported symptoms and the team was awaiting test results. Brooks Kriske was activated to take his place on the roster before Wednesday’s game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

The Yankees already are without Anthony Rizzo, Gary Sanchez, Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery, who were part of the team’s most recent outbreak. 

Asked Tuesday about the team’s troubles with COVID, which has now sidelined 12 players over the course of the season, Zack Britton said it was “frustrating.”

“We don’t know why it keeps happening,’’ Britton said Tuesday. “We’re over 90 percent vaccinated [as a traveling group]. We did everything we felt we needed to do to protect ourselves.”

Rizzo is the only Yankee who has publicly said they were not vaccinated, but the team has had at least one other non-breakthrough case.

On getting the vaccine, Britton said, “We knew it didn’t mean you can’t get COVID, but it lessens the symptoms — which it has in some cases and hasn’t in others. Guys are still getting severe symptoms like they never got the vaccine.”

And Britton said he has no answers as to why they have had so many cases.

“It’s hard to say,’’ Britton said. “Guys have been coming to the field, playing baseball. I know guys aren’t going out doing stuff they shouldn’t be doing. I feel like I’m pretty in tune with the team and guys’ thinking… I don’t know why we’re leading the pack and other teams seem not to have any cases. At this point, it’s pretty annoying.”

The Yankees are still on the outside looking in to the playoffs.

“We’re trying to win games and have a lot of important guys out,’’ Britton said. “It’s aggravating.”