Zach Plesac got caught. He regrets his actions.
The Cleveland pitcher was sent home Sunday from Chicago, where the team was wrapping up a weekend series vs. the White Sox, after it was learned he had breached the team hotel Saturday to meet up with friends in the city, violating team rules and MLB's COVID-19 protocols in the process.
Given that the Cardinals and Marlins have had their seasons turned upside down by the coronavirus, Cleveland was not about to allow the right-hander near the team. It arranged for a car service to transport him to Ohio, The Athletic reported , adding that Plesac and the driver received point-of-care testing before leaving. Plesac will now be quarantined for 72 hours and tested daily.
Plesac, the nephew of former MLB pitcher Dan Plesac, apologized on social media later Sunday.
Statement from Zach Plesac: pic.twitter.com/lq5J6NTDQL
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) August 10, 2020
If Cleveland decides against harsh disciplinary measures, it could just skip his next turn. The team has three-off days from Monday through Aug. 17. Plesac pitched six scoreless innings in his start Saturday, lowering his ERA to 1.29.
FAGAN: Cardinals' outbreak is a needed wakeup call
Plesac's relationship with teammates might be more complicated.
"We love Zach," team ace Shane Bieber said, per The Athletic. "We support him. But he screwed up. We're going to handle this in-house."