Decreasing number of Cubs remain in Mesa to stay ready for season they hope will be played

MESA, Ariz. — They trickled in one at a time Tuesday morning as the Cubs’ spring facility reopened after a long weekend of deep cleaning and deeper reflection on the head-spinning, global reality that has shut down their game — and that continues to change daily.

“What can we do?” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said Tuesday morning upon arriving at the Cubs’ complex for the first time since last week. “My plan for now is to stay here and just work out, enjoy Arizona.”

To be clear, “reopened” is a very loose term for the status of the Cubs’ facility, and others around baseball. Most of the front office, support staff and even players have left Mesa; the complex is locked and closed to all but team personnel through one, secured gate, with the clubhouse, weight room, batting cages and bullpens available to players left behind.

“I think it’s best to stay here,” Rizzo said. “This is a controlled facility, and it’s better for me than working out at a regular gym. And we’ve got cages here.

“If I wasn’t 5½ hours away on a flight [to Florida], I would probably be home. But just going home for a few weeks and then coming back — I’d rather just stay here and be grounded here.”

But for how long? For how many?

The COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down sports across the U.S. and other countries is growing in magnitude. For baseball, it has meant two delays already to a season that originally was scheduled to open in barely a week — with no foreseeable timetable.

As Rizzo talked to a reporter through a fence, the last thing on his mind was how the shutdown might impact competitive or economic issues with his team or sport.

“It’s about being healthy,” he said, rattling off family members on his mind. “I don’t really care about baseball right now. Do I want to be playing? Yes. Absolutely. But the health of you, the health of everyone is more important than baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer — everything.

“You see it: Everything’s shut down. I think it’s selfish right now that football’s going on like it’s normal. Because it’s not normal. These aren’t normal times. You’re standing behind a fence right now because this is how abnormal it is.

“When we get this under control, that’s when all the baseball stuff will come back, and until then, it’s just staying physically ready.”

At least until the next update and directive from Major League Baseball or the team.

Starting pitchers Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks showed up Tuesday and played catch. Darvish, who has a home in the area and his wife and kids with him, also threw in the bullpen Tuesday morning.

Jose Quintana threw Monday but was not part of the group Tuesday.

“I don’t know what the plan is, to be honest,” Kyle Schwarber said. “I’m just going to come in as long as I can and workout — and not shake hands. I’ll give you elbow bumps. …

“You’re kind of in limbo right now.”

One team official estimated as many as 25 of the 39 players still officially part of big-league camp were still in town on Sunday, but that the number was down to 15 or so by Tuesday.

That included at least nine players expected to be on the opening roster, also pitcher Craig Kimbrel, infielders Jason Kipnis and David Bote, and outfielders Ian Happ and Albert Almora Jr.

Kipnis, the Northbrook native who signed over the winter, said Tuesday he only was stopping by on his way to the airport to head home.

“You just reset,” Happ said. “I think guys are going back to what they were doing kind of in December, January. And once we get more firm dates, you’ll be able to set a timetable. But until then, it’s just keep yourself in shape.

“You can’t go into November mode or we’ll be really far away.”

Assuming the season eventually starts.

“I think there’ll be a season,” Rizzo said. “Hopefully. If there’s not, then obviously our world’s not in a good spot. This is bigger than baseball.”