Chicago Cubs have created a safe environment so far for players

The Chicago Cubs are doing everything right so far, based on recent comments.

We are now less than two weeks from Opening Day as teams across the league continue their Summer Camp workouts. At Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs are one of only a handful of teams yet to have a player or staff test positive for COVID-19, a testament to the diligence of everyone involved.

We’re seeing more players elect to opt out of the 2020 season. The latest high-profile name to announce he’ll sit out? San Francisco catcher Buster Posey, who is adopting a pair of twins with his wife – both of whom will need time in the NICU. Thus, with their both being high-risk individuals when it comes to the coronavirus, Posey made the call to be with his family this summer.

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So far, we haven’t seen any Cubs players make that call. This weekend, pitcher Yu Darvish admitted that prior to reporting to Chicago for camp, he was strongly considering sitting out this year, as well.

“Definitely,” Darvish told MLB.com. “I came here to make sure everybody was doing the right thing. And then I had it in my mind that, if they’re not, I was ready to go home.”

Of course, Darvish is an integral part of the Cubs rotation. He put it all together down the stretch late last season and once again looked like one of the best arms in the game. With Jose Quintana out to start the year, his importance only grew in recent weeks.

Still, it’s a constant battle for these guys – and I don’t think very many fans realize that. Thankfully, Illinois isn’t currently one of the COVID-19 hotspots in the country. But with record-breaking numbers of new cases being reported daily, the threat is very real.

Darvish made clear – if not for the efforts of his teammates, both on and off the field, he may very well have sat on the sidelines this year. But thanks to everyone following the team’s procedures both on and off the field, he and his fellow players are all at camp working toward next Friday’s Opening Day matchup against Milwaukee at home.

“It was a tough decision, but everyone’s doing it,” Darvish said. “All the teammates have families. Everybody has concerns, but everybody decided to play. So, it makes it a little bit easier for me to make the decision to play.”