Giants' Buster Posey opts out of 2020 season citing newborns' health

ByABC News
July 10, 2020, 12:39 PM

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey has opted to not play this season, telling reporters on Friday that his family recently adopted twin girls who were born prematurely. 

"After weighing it for a long time, talking to doctors, I just feel like in the current state that we are right now and these babies being as fragile as they are for the next four months, at minimum, this ultimately wasn't that difficult a decision for me," Posey said.

In a statement Friday, the Giants said they "fully support Buster's decision."

"Buster is an integral part of our team and will be sorely missed," the statement read, "but we look forward to having him back in 2021."

Posey, a six-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion, last season posted a slash line of .257/.320/.368 -- all the lowest of his career since becoming an everyday player for the Giants in 2010.

His decision comes on the same day that MLB and the players union announced there were 66 positive tests out of 3,748 taken through Thursday, July 9. Of that 1.8% that tested positive. 58 people were players and the other eight were staff members.