MLB Team Dealing With a Chickenpox Outbreak

"Mom, did I have the chickenpox?"

That's a question the Kansas City Star reported some players and staff on the Royals MLB team are asking as two of their own have come down with what's usually a childhood virus.

The infection leaves the Royals without a relief pitcher, Kelvin Herrera, and outfielder Alex Rios for at least a couple of weeks. There's also the chance that more players could become infected as well.

Paulo Orlando #16 of the Kansas City Royals and Alex Rios #15 celebrates with teammates after scoring on a Jarrod Dyson single in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Kauffman Stadium on August 15, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

With the playoffs about a month away, the AL Central leaders are hoping the disease won't derail their bid for another World Series berth.

"Think there is always a concern because these guys were in for three or four days before they showed signs of it," manager Ned Yost said. "Since that point, [trainer] Nick Kenney has done a real good job of monitoring."

Watch Yost talk about the situation:

Kennedy told the Star the team is "on alert."

"We’ve got our guys knowing that they’ve got to pay attention to what they’re seeing. And if you do see anything, we need to see it and we need to inspect it," he told the newspaper.

Kelvin Herrera #40 of the Kansas City Royals throws in the eighth inning aDetroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium on August 12, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

The Star went on to explain that the team's players from Latin American countries are the most at risk for the infection, if they haven't already had the virus or the vaccine:

[Rafael Harpaz, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], the expert from the CDC, suggested that “for reasons that are not well-understood,” people raised in Caribbean climates are often more susceptible to the chickenpox as adults in America. Rios grew up in Puerto Rico. Herrera grew up in the Dominican Republic.

“One of the main theories is that the virus just doesn’t last as long in tropical conditions, so the likelihood of you catching it is enough reduced to make it that less contagious,” Harpaz said.

Herrera is from the Dominican Republic while Rios was born Alabama.

Chickenpox in adulthood is generally more severe than if it happens in childhood. Harpaz explained to the Star that this is because adult patients likely to get more of the red, itchy blisters than children and to suffer complications.

According to the CDC, the chickenpox virus leads to 100 to 150 deaths in the United States each year.

As a precaution, the Star reported that some players received the chickenpox vaccine again.

Watch the Star's video report:

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.