St. Louis Cardinals roommates describe COVID recovery, regret of not informing stylist
One of the sad realities of life during a global pandemic is that oftentimes full households will be battling COVID-19 simultaneously, each person supporting the other as they attempt to shake off a wide range of potential symptoms.
Those households are rarely composed entirely of professional athletes. One apartment in St. Louis, however, did play host to two such people as the Cardinals experienced a wide outbreak last month.
Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley and outfielder Lane Thomas live together, got sick together, and have been working through recovery together, rejoining their teammates on the field this week in Cincinnati.
“I think it was better that we were in the same apartment together, because at least I’m not sitting by myself for three weeks or two weeks,” Thomas said.
“I guess that was probably the best case scenario,” Helsley agreed. “We both had symptoms for two days and then we felt pretty normal after that. Thankfully we didn’t have it very bad and we were able to get through it.”
Both Helsley and Thomas described the same set of relatively mild symptoms — feverishness, chills and headaches which dissipated within roughly a week.
Helsley also experienced a burning sensation in his chest while breathing, which he likened to a deep inhale after a run on a cold day. Thomas had another of the symptoms commonly associated with the novel coronavirus, the diminished sense of taste and smell.
“That was the worst part, man,” he said. “I can’t do anything else, and then you can’t even enjoy food anymore.”
Helsley was the first of the roommates to test positive.
He began to feel what he described as hot flashes at home on a Thursday night before the Cardinals were set to restart their schedule at Busch Stadium against the Chicago Cubs on the following Friday. He notified the team, which arranged for a rapid test that returned a positive result.
He also, earlier that same day, sought out a haircut. In an incident first reported by KMOV’s Brooke Grimsley, Helsley, who says he had no symptoms at the time of his contact with the stylist, neglected to contact the woman to warn her he had tested positive for a number of days.
“Obviously I feel terrible about that situation,” Helsley said. “I was talking to MLB and the Cardinals and I was having a lot of text messages and stuff, so it kind of slipped my mind. I take full responsibility for that. I definitely should’ve been better there.”
Helsley said that he was able to resume throwing into his mattress and pillows within a handful of days of his positive test result. While he was dialed into his physical maintenance, Thomas set to work on the mental side of the game.
Thomas described using his team-supplied iPad to access scouting reports and game plans as though he would be a part of the active roster for each game in an attempt to stay focused on the season.
“Nothing’s changed, but instead of dressing out,” Thomas explained, “I’m just sitting on the couch, you know? Just kind of keeping track of things I would normally do and not get too used to sitting around.”
Thomas’s ordeal also helped to highlight some of the challenges MLB faces as it maintains its testing regimen. After Helsley’s diagnosis, Thomas, as a person in close contact with him, was sent to Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur, with whom the Cardinals have a partnership for conducting rapid tests.
The rapid test showed a positive. The saliva test administered by MLB and processed by labs in New Jersey or Utah still showed negative results for several days.
That uncertainty contributed in part to the 17-day outage in the Cardinals’ schedule and to the widespread nature of the outbreak. The long incubation period allowed the team to feel safe in coming together for travel and workouts even as the virus was continuing its slow creep through team personnel.
Both Helsley and Thomas now face competitive challenges. John Gant and Alex Reyes have firmed up their spots as right handers, setting up closer Giovanny Gallegos. Tommy Edman has recently been shifted to left field, joining an outfield mix that now includes Dylan Carlson.
Helsley and Thomas will have to simultaneously recover and compete for playing time. Helsley said before Tuesday’s action that he’d only thrown off a mound three times in the last month and his velocity registered 94 to 97 rather than his typical 97 to 100.
That rust showed in his one-inning appearance in Tuesday’s 16-2 blowout win, as he allowed a home run to Reds first baseman Joey Votto. Thomas went 1-for-5 with a double and a walk after also taking a free pass in a bench appearance on Monday night.
“It’s been kind of tough,” Helsley said. “I haven’t pitched in a game in over a month, so just trying to stay in shape the whole time in quarantine.”
For Thomas, the mindset makes the difference.
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 9:42 AM.
