Cancer survivor and Royals pitcher Hill comfortable with COVID measures taken in camp
Royals pitcher Timmy Hill is unflinching in his resolve to play baseball this season despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent weeks, several notable figures in Major League Baseball have decided not to play or have spoken publicly about their doubts due to health concerns.
Last week, former MVP Buster Posey announced he wouldn’t play this year. And Kansas City first base coach Rusty Kuntz, who is 65, won’t be on the field this season, either, after consultation with the club’s medical staff, general manager Dayton Moore and manager Mike Matheny.
Nobody would have faulted Hill, a left-handed relief pitcher and cancer survivor, had he decided to stay home this season.
But he isn’t wavering on his decision.
Hill, 30, won a battle with colon cancer in 2015 and has an inherited condition called Lynch Syndrome, which puts him at higher risk of future colon cancer. Because of the effect cancer treatments can have on individuals’ immune systems, it may put them at higher risk of infection or complications from COVID-19.
“I still stick by my decision,” Hill said. “Obviously there’s been some concerns with people testing positive and things like that, but I still feel that I made the right decision and I’m not really worried about it.”
The Royals placed four players on the injured list due to positive coronavirus test results since the start of spring training 2.0 at Kauffman Stadium earlier this month.
Star catcher Salvador Perez, starting pitcher Brad Keller, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and backup catcher Cam Gallagher have all tested positive and are spending time in isolation.
“As far as the procedures the Royals are taking, I think it has made me feel a little more comfortable, knowing that they’re going to great lengths to protect us — I do feel like they are,” Hill said. “Some of it seems a little bit over the top, when you first look at it, but then when you start seeing people testing positive, you’re like, ‘OK, it’s necessary.’ I think they’re doing a great job, as good a job as they can do.”
Hill said the KC coaching staff has been able to closely mimic the type of workload he’d typically expect during spring training.
The fact that players have come in and out in staggered groups has made the clubhouse feel “empty” at times and lent itself to what hill called an “eerie” feeling during the day. Health and safety measures have made camp very different this year.
The 6-foot-4 submarine-style pitcher who pitched in the majors in 2018 and 2019 (116 games) gives the Royals a unique look out of their bullpen. Last season, left-handed hitters batted just .186 against Hill.
He remained in Arizona and worked out there while all MLB spring training camps were shut down. He’s still seeking consistency with his slider this spring, which is usually a crucial element to his effectiveness.
“It’s hard to imagine a guy of his age going through what he’s gone through already,” Matheny said of Hill. “I think (deciding not to opt out) is just a testament to faith in himself and faith in the process that we’re doing everything possible to keep him in a good place.
“But I think it also shows how much he loves this group, loves this organization, loves this team and wants to get out and compete. When you hear stories like that, I think it brings the onus back on us to make sure we’re being as careful as we can for everybody’s sake.”
