When Cleveland Guardians' players wanted Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac removed from roster for flouting Covid-19 protocols

Cleveland Guardian pitchers Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac broke COVID-19 protocols and lied about their actions in 2020.

Players reportedly vowed to sit out if pitchers Clevinger and Plesac were kept on the active roster despite violating team COVID-19 guidelines. The pair went out during a Chicago roadtrip, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Oliver Perez, a reliever, reportedly threatened to quit the organization, while others shared his sentiments, according to Passan. Clevinger and Plesac were subsequently sent to the team's "alternative training site" by the Indians.

“They hurt us bad. They lied to us,” pitcher Adam Plutko told reporters. “They sat here, in front of you guys, and said things publicly that they didn’t follow through on. It’s gonna be up to them. It really is.”

Plesac and Clevinger departed the group hotel while traveling to Chicago.

Plesac was sent home on August 8 after being discovered going back to the hotel. Clevinger, who could have exposed the players to COVID-19, eventually boarded the team jet with the rest of the team despite refusing to acknowledge any involvement.

Both players later tested negative, but according to Passan, the possibility of exposing the squad made players uneasy.

Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac are great pitchers

Clevinger, a pitcher with the Chicago White Sox, formerly played for the San Diego Padres and the Cleveland Indians in Major League Baseball. In 2016, Clevinger made his MLB debut.

"Mike Clevinger rocking the pigtails in his second start" - AJ Cassavell

Plesac played college baseball at Ball State University and currently pitches for the Cleveland Guardians.

Cleveland Guardians Photo Day

"The story behind Zach Plesac's tense break-up with his agency" - Buster Olney

The Cleveland Indians selected Plesac in the twelfth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. He debuted in the MLB in 2019.