Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he doesn't expect Chapman (illness) to be available for Thursday's season opener versus the Nationals, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.
The Yankees placed Chapman on the injured list July 11, two days after the team learned he tested positive for COVID-19. Fortunately for Chapman, he's believed to be displaying only mild symptoms of the coronavirus, but the 32-year-old has yet to submit two negative test results and has yet to rejoin the Yankees. As a reliever, Chapman won't require much ramp-up time once he clears all COVID-19-related protocols, but the Yankees intend to lean on Zack Britton as their primary closer until Chapman is activated.