Yairo Munoz latest Red Sox player to test positive for COVID-19 as outbreak spreads

The Red Sox now have a combination of 11 players and coaches sidelined due to the coronavirus.

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts; utility man Enrique Hernandez; second baseman Christian Arroyo; and pitchers Matt Barnes, Hirokazu Sawamura and Martin Perez tested positive for COVID-19 while left-hander Josh Taylor and first-base coach Tom Goodwin are in quarantine as close contacts. 

Quality control coach Ramon Vazquez has also tested positive for the virus. 

The Red Sox were forced to pull Bogaerts from Tuesday's 8-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning after he returned a positive COVID-19 test. 

Boston's coronavirus outbreak began last week, and it comes in the home stretch of the regular season as the club continues to fight for a playoff spot. 

Cora said Tuesday that he recognizes the playoff race doesn't stop just because the team is dealing with COVID-19 concerns.

"Like I said yesterday and I'm gonna keep saying it. They're not gonna stop the tournament for the Red Sox," Cora said. "We know that. So we gotta figure this out. Show up tomorrow, play good baseball, do it the next day and then go home, and you know see where we're at."

The Red Sox are third in the American League East with a 75-59 record, 10 games behind the division-leading Rays, whom they've lost their last two games against. 

Boston is barely holding on to an AL wild-card spot as the Oakland Athletics are just one game out of the second spot. 

It's unclear if Major League Baseball has any plans to postpone Wednesday's Red Sox-Rays game or any other games this week. Several of Boston's players who have tested positive for the virus are vaccinated.