The Kansas City Royals are currently dealing with the an issue that plagues kindergarten classes across the country on a daily basis.
They have the chickenpox.
Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star reports that outfielder Alex Rios and reliever Kelvin Herrera have both been infected with the chickenpox virus and are expected to miss at least two weeks. Both players left the team over the weekend.
Royals manager Ned Yost and several players contacted their families over the weekend to find out if they had be exposed to the chickenpox virus as children. While the infection typically affects children, it can be much more severe when adults catch it. Experts say players born in Latin American countries are at a higher risk of contracting chickenpox because their chances of having received a vaccination are lower, according to the Star.
As of now, the Royals are optimistic that Rios and Herrera were the only two people in the clubhouse who were infected. However, it can take up to three weeks for symptoms to show in infected adults, so the Royals will need to monitor the situation very closely down the stretch of the regular season.
While the Royals have had players miss time under some incredibly unusual circumstances in the past, the timing of the chickenpox outbreak is far from ideal. They’re 13 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins for first place in the AL Central division, but the last thing the defending AL champs need is an infection sweeping through the clubhouse as the playoffs draw near.
Photo: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
