When the Los Angeles Dodgers reported to Summer Camp ahead of the 2020 season, a number of players were missing for undisclosed reasons.
Some of those players have come out and revealed that they dealt with coronavirus (COVID-19), as Kenley Jansen and AJ Pollock both let it be known they tested positive. Tony Gonsolin also tested positive, although believes it was a false positive as he had no symptoms and only one positive result.
Dodgers catching prospect Keibert Ruiz was among the players late to Summer Camp. He became the latest to reveal that he also dealt with coronavirus, and his symptoms were stronger than most.
“It was a tough time. It was like seven days I was sick and didn’t feel good. Thank God I’m good now. I didn’t go to the hospital. I just stayed in the hotel, in my room, just tried to get better,” Ruiz said.
“I lost my taste. It was a tough time. Fever for three days but after that I was good. I don’t like to be with too much weight, but I lost a little bit. I didn’t eat because I couldn’t taste flavor.”
After spending the first few weeks of the season at the team’s alternate training camp to get up to speed after reporting late, the Dodgers recalled Ruiz this past weekend and he made his Major League debut, starting behind the plate in Sunday’s game against the L.A. Angels.
It did not take Ruiz long to make his presence known at the highest level as he homered in his first career at-bat, a moment which he surely will never forget.
Ruiz discusses swing changes
In his Minor League career, Ruiz wasn’t known to hit a ton of home runs. His career high is 12 across two levels in 2018. Ruiz has made some swing changes though, which he believes can lead to him being more of a home run hitter.
“I’ve been working a lot with [Brant Brown] and other coaches to make an adjustment to get better results. I want to keep working,” Ruiz said. “I’m going to keep working and doing my thing, but yeah I would like to be a power hitter and average hitter.
“I’m just going to keep focused on getting better every day.”
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