Indians enraged after partying pitchers violate virus rules

It's going to take some time for pitchers Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac to regain the trust of their Cleveland Indians teammates.

Clevinger and Plesac violated Major League Baseball's COVID-19 protocols two weeks ago in Chicago, and fellow pitcher Adam Plutko didn't mince his words when detailing the sentiment toward them in the Indians clubhouse.

"They hurt us bad. They lied to us. They sat here and publicly said things they didn't follow through on. I'll let them tell you how they're gonna earn our trust back; I don't need to put words in their mouths," Plutko said on the weekend.

Both pitchers were placed on MLB's restricted list.

Plesac was sent home after the Indians learned he left the quarantined hotel in Chicago to celebrate his victory on Aug 8. Later it emerged that he was accompanied by Clevinger on the night out. Both players have since issued apologies.

"I would like to apologize to my teammates, the entire Cleveland organization and all of our fans for my actions," Plesac said, via The Athletic. "I realize I made a poor choice to leave the hotel, which broke protocols and could have endangered other people.

"I understand that in these times of uncertainty, I need to be more vigilant and responsible and I am determined to earn my teammates' forgiveness and get back to work."

Clevinger was likewise repentant, saying: "There is an implicit trust that each of my teammates share as we navigate a season during this pandemic, and I broke that trust. In Chicago, I made the mistake of violating the protocols but the biggest mistake of all was not immediately coming clean to my teammates.

"I owe them better. I now realize that by even exposing myself to just one person more than necessary, I am putting myself, my teammates, the guys I compete against, the umpires, the staff, the Indians organization as well as the game that I love at risk.

"There is no excuse for my actions, and I can only take responsibility and learn from my mistakes. Moving forward, I promise my actions will reflect a full understanding of the protocols set in place while I continue my passion for competing for the incredible Indians fans and the city that I adore."

Plutko wasn't alone in chastising the pair. Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor posted a strong statement on Twitter that focused on their decisions and the need for all MLB players to be selfless in observing the quarantine rules.

Before the departure of Plesac and Clevinger, Cleveland's pitching staff had posted an American League-best 2.04 ERA.

The controversy overshadowed this week's 100th anniversary of another dark day in Cleveland baseball history.

On Aug 16, 1920, Indians shortstop Ray Chapman registered two doubles in his first two trips to the plate against the New York Yankees. Through four innings, he also stole two bases, scored two runs, made two put-outs, was credited with two assists and committed two errors.

During plate appearances in the third and fifth innings, he was struck by a pitch. The second one, a fastball served up by Yankees fireballer Car May, struck him in the temple and killed him.