Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Daniel Norris of Johnson City, Tennessee has tested positive for coronavirus. Norris was slated to be the Tigers’ fourth starting pitcher in the rotation this season behind Matt Boyd, Jordan Zimmermann, and Ivan Nova.
Norris will be looking for a bounce-back season with Detroit in 2020. A year ago, he had an abysmal won-loss record of three wins and 13 losses, with an earned run average of 4.49. In 32 games, Norris had 144 1/3 innings pitched, and gave up 154 hits, 72 earned runs, 25 home runs, and 38 walks. He also had 125 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.33.
Norris is in his seventh season in Major League Baseball. He previously played a season and a half with the Toronto Blue Jays, and four and a half seasons with the Tigers. He was part of the deal that saw Toronto acquire David Price for their postseason run in 2015. Ironically, Price has pulled out of the 2020 Major League Baseball season because of coronavirus concerns. He was to pitch this season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Major League Baseball announced on Thursday there have been 66 positive tests of coronavirus from 3740 tests (58 players and eight staff members). Of the players who have been announced with the disease to date, two players were projected to be starting pitchers for their respective teams’ starting rotation this season. Joining Norris, the other starting pitcher who has coronavirus is Eduardo Rodriguez of Valencia, Venezuela. Rodriguez was expected to be the ace for the Boston Red Sox.
The Tigers meanwhile were the worst team in Major League Baseball in 2019. They had a record of 47 wins and 114 losses.
