Boggs says he was joking about having caught COVID-19 from Sale

Hall of Famer Wade Boggs clarified Tuesday that his remarks last week about potentially catching the coronavirus from Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale were meant as a joke.

The retired third baseman revealed he'd gotten sick with pneumonia and went through "a really rough few days." He took ill shortly after attending an event in February alongside Sale, who himself was recovering from pneumonia.

Sale openly wondered whether his illness was actually COVID-19, which prompted Boggs' comments about the All-Star left-hander.

"I could have gotten it from anybody at the event. I was joking because Chris Sale had been extremely sick, and I was saying, 'Hey, maybe he's the one who gave me the virus,'" Boggs told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "Evidently, the humor was lost in the context of the article."

Boggs added that he ultimately took a test to find out whether he actually did have COVID-19, and it came back negative.

The 61-year-old totaled 3,010 hits with three teams over 18 seasons, including 11 years in Boston. Boggs, whose No. 26 was retired by the Red Sox, now works for the team as an ambassador.