The Milwaukee Brewers will have to find a new way to celebrate for the next few spring training games because they banned high fives to avoid the spread of conjunctivitis.
Catcher Jonathan Lucroy and pitching coach Rick Kranitz were the latest victims of pink eye.
They stayed home on Friday in hopes of stopping the spread of the annoying and highly contagious malady that causes itchy eyes, among other symptoms.
"We've been going through it for a while and it seems like a couple of more show up every day," manager Ron Roenicke said.
"We can't have it go through the whole clubhouse."
For now, Milwaukee players are supposed to avoid high-fives and instead tap elbows or bump batting glove-covered fists.
In the seventh inning of a 10-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Friday (Saturday AEDT), after scoring on a sacrifice fly, Hunter Morris approached the coaches sitting outside the Brewers dugout with his hand out as if he wanted to shake hands. But at the last moment he pulled his hand back and gave them fist bumps.
Infielder Yadiel Rivera returned to action from conjunctivitis on Friday and played in the loss. Juan Centeno, who started at catcher, returned on Thursday.
"I just don't want to catch it," reliever Mike Fiers said.
"Just try to be sanitary. Wash your hands after everything you do, be careful and don't put your hands in your eyes or your mouth. Just try to stay as clean as possible."
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