There are no formal team workouts happening at the spring training facilities in Bradenton, Fla., but Pirates players are still preparing for the 2020 season, whenever it might be.
Right now, the Pirates are holding workouts three days a week, staggering who everyone comes into contact with to try to decrease the risk of spreading COVID-19. For now, it is mostly weight lifting and strength and conditioning training, though pitchers are still throwing and hitters are getting time in the cage.
“Nothing extremely advanced right now," Derek Shelton said in a conference call Thursday afternoon. "It’s more just guys staying in shape.”
Shelton, a Florida resident, is staying near Bradenton, as are four other coaches.
Players were also given the option to return home or to Pittsburgh. If they did, they were given framework for their workout programs.
The goal for now is how to gradually "deload" pitchers. The Pirates had built their starting pitchers up to the 75 pitch mark before spring abruptly ended on Mar. 12.
“We have to make sure that we don’t go from 75 [pitches] to nothing, and we also have to make sure that we don’t essentially waste a ton of bullets trying to stay fresh because we don’t know when we’re gonna start," Shelton said.
MLB announced they had postponed the regular season until at least mid-May, though the actual start could be much later than that. That makes preparation difficult, but once a date is set, the Pirates will begin to ramp up workouts again to get their players ready.
More from Shelton:
• It has been one week since the league was shut down. The regular season was also supposed to start in one week, on Mar. 26.
It seems a bit trivial now, but since the regular season was so close, were the Pirates close to choosing an opening day starter or other roster decisions?
“We were not close," Shelton responded. "We still had games and outings and decisions to be made.”
Shelton and general manager Ben Cherington are still discussing their roster options, though it is on the "back-burner" at the moment.
“We still are talking about different things because we have to be prepared, but I don’t think we have anything that’s imminent or anything we’ve gotten to the point that we’ve finalized,” Shelton said.
• An extended period time off could be a good or bad thing for Gregory Polanco. On the one hand, it puts less pressure on his left shoulder, but it also means he, too, needs to de-load.
Shelton liked what he saw from Polanco, and is looking for him to keep doing good work.
“We saw how engaged he was in spring training and how he ran the bases,” Shelton said. “It’s just making sure he maintains his health and maintains the strength in his knee, making sure his movement patterns stay consistent. So, when we do ramp back up, he doesn’t have rust.”
• Before Shelton got on a conference call with reporters Thursday, he held his own with his coaching staff.
“When you’re with a group of guys for 30-plus days and then you stopped being around them and having daily conversations, I wanted to make sure we stayed extremely conversant.”
• No Pirates players or coaches have been tested for coronavirus yet, to Shelton's knowledge.
• Hanging around Tampa Bay, Shelton has heard plenty about the Buccaneers and their new quarterback, Tom Brady.
Shelton's not really a football fan, or really a fan of any sport besides baseball, but that excitement in Tampa is a welcome sight for him.
“I think the fact that people are talking about sports in some regards is good. Because sports, regardless of what it is, in society is an outlet."
• During the Pirates' manager search, Shelton repeatedly cleaned his garage as a coping mechanism during the wait. So far during the shutdown, he's only cleaned his closet and tried to teach his fourth grade daughter, Gianna, compound fractions.
He wasn't particularly good at the latter.
“I found out from both Gianna and from [my wife] Allie, I am not fit to teach any fourth-grade subject because of my lack of patience,” Shelton joked.
He's also started reading a couple books: One on the Beastie Boys, the other on Roberto Clemente.
