Mets’ Buck Showalter talks with Chris Bassitt after COVID-19 testing comments: ‘Free to express himself’

A day after New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt called Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 protocols “ridiculous,” his manager backed his pitchers right to speak his mind.

Mets manager Buck Showalter addressed Bassitt’s comments prior to New York’s 5-2 loss to the Miami Marlins Friday night, telling reporters that Bassitt was allowed to have his own thoughts.

“I’ve talked with him, we’ve talked with Chris,” Showalter said, according to The New York Post. “Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. I’m not going to get into anything politically. He’s free to express himself as a human being. We’ve talked to him. I’ll leave it at that.”

Bassitt caused a bit of a stir on Thursday, questioning MLB’s COVID-19 protocols after returning from a stint on the IL due to a positive COVID-19 test.

METS’ CHRIS BASSITT REGRETS INFORMING TEAM OF POSITIVE COVID TEST: ‘I SHOULD’VE NEVER SAID ANYTHING’

“It’s ridiculous we’re still doing it,” Bassit said of MLB COVID-19 protocols, via SNY. “Stop testing it. Stop acting like COVID is far worse than a lot of other things. I’m not trying to get too much into it, but I was never sick, never had a symptom. So, sitting out for two weeks or a week for zero symptoms, I don’t know.”

Bassitt informed the Mets that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on July 1 after taking an at-home test, and was not allowed to return to the team until he tested negative, which was Thursday.

Bassitt told reporters on Thursday that he didn’t experience any symptoms and regretted informing the Mets of his positive test.

“Now they’re coming out and saying we possibly could get tested, we could possibly come back positive multiple times in a month,” Bassitt added. “So we’ve got to miss multiple times – I guess the answer is I should never have said anything. I should never have said that I tested positive, and I probably won’t the rest of my career. There’s no way, there’s no reason.”

Bassitt was strong in his return to the mound Friday night, allowing just two earned runs in 6.1 innings. The Mets only managed five hits and two runs, however, dropping the second of their four-game series against Miami.