Sox on Moncada: 'If there was any risk,' he wouldn't be playing
Only Yoan Moncada really knows how he feels, and from all indications it's not too great.
Soreness in the back of his lower left leg was thought to be Moncada's main health issue the past week or so, but the White Sox's third baseman dropped a pretty scary bombshell Thursday.
When asked about how he's feeling after testing positive for COVID-19 two months ago, Moncada opened up.
"My body hasn't felt the same after the virus," he said through a translator. "I feel a lack of energy, strength, it's just a weird feeling. When I got to Chicago before I tested positive, I was feeling strong and with energy. Now, it's like a daily battle to try to find that strength, that energy to go through the day."
There are so many unknowns since the coronavirus is a new disease, but Penn State director of athletic medicine Wayne Sebastianelli caused a panic Monday when he linked it to myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle that can be fatal if not addressed.
On Thursday, Sebastianelli walked back his comments on myocarditis in a statement released by Penn State: "(He) recalled initial preliminary data that had been verbally shared by a colleague on a forthcoming study, which unbeknownst to him at the time had been published at a lower rate."
It is unknown if Moncada has been tested for heart disease because HIPPA laws prevent the White Sox from providing information.
A Sox source did say: "If there was any risk to him now or in the future, he would not be playing."
Even though he is feeling "weak," Moncada wants to play as much as possible and he was back in the White Sox's starting lineup Friday night at Kansas City.
"I have to deal with and it is what it is," Moncada said. "I have to find a way to get through it."
Last season, Moncada hit .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs, 79 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 132 games while establishing himself as one of the top players in the American League.
This year, the switch-hitter was slashing .242/.333/.411 with 5 homers, 18 RBI and no steals in 32 games through Thursday.
Manager Rick Renteria is often asked about Moncada's health, but he can't offer too many details outside of the sore leg.
"We are aware of the things he's going through on a daily basis, as we are aware of everyone on the club," Renteria said. "They're doing a lot of different things to mitigate it and he's out there. You see him out there trying to give you his best."