Sep 7, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Hector Velazquez (76) pitches against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

FUKUSHIMA, Japan, July 23 (Reuters) - Mexico's Olympic baseball team will be without former Major League Baseball pitchers Hector Velazquez and Sammy Solis for the Tokyo Games after they tested positive for COVID-19, manager Benjamin Gil told Reuters on Friday.

The Mexico Olympic Committee had announced on Tuesday that the entire team were in a pre-departure quarantine awaiting further results after the two positives.

Gil said the rest of the team arrived in Tokyo on Friday "COVID-free", but will need two new pitchers. Officials are waiting on testing and results before naming the replacements, he said.

Mexico is making its Olympics baseball debut in a six-team tournament that begins next week, and Gil told Reuters a few weeks ago that he expected pitching to be a strength for his squad.

A number of athletes in other sports have tested positive in recent days, forcing them to drop out of the Games before their competitions begin.

Source: Reuters

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