MLB pitcher says 'stop acting like COVID is far worse' than other illnesses, calls testing 'ridiculous'

New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt (6-5, 4.01 ERA) said Thursday that "it’s ridiculous" that "we’re still doing" COVID testing, and added that we need to "stop acting like COVID" is worse than other things in the world.

Bassitt made the statements while talking to the media after he had to miss playing time last week because he was of the Major League Baseball COVID protocols. He was benched after he took a test and then informed the team he had tested positive for COVID.

The Met said he tested himself at home because he has a "little girl" and he wanted to be safe after feeling sluggish following a game against the Houston Astros. Once he tested positive, he felt it was the right thing to do to notify his team, but added, "I never had a symptom."

Bassitt told reporters, "It’s ridiculous we’re still doing it," and added that he kept his usual workout routine and didn’t feel he was "worn down" and said he "felt normal" and ready to play.

A reporter asked what his solution to the problem was and Bassitt replied, "stop testing."

"Stop acting like COVID is far worse than a lot of other things. I mean, not trying to get too much into it, but I was never sick. Never had a symptom. So, sitting out for two weeks or possibly a week for zero symptoms. I don’t know."

He added, "And now they’re coming out and saying we possibly could get tested, I mean we could possibly come up positive multiple times in, like, say a month. So, we gotta miss multiple times. … I guess the answer is I should never have said anything."

Bassit continued, "I should never have said I tested positive. And I probably won’t the rest of my career. There’s no way. There’s no reason."

He concluded, "I don’t know if I made the right decision of saying something or not."