13 Miami Marlins Players, Staff Test Positive for COVID-19; Marlins-Orioles, Phillies-Yankees Series Postponed
(UPDATE – 10:50 a.m.) Baltimore players are headed back to Maryland.
The Baltimore Orioles are returning home from Miami tonight, sources tell ESPN, ensuring Tuesday’s game won’t be played at Marlins Park, either.
At some point, the healthy Marlins are expected to travel to Baltimore, where they were scheduled to play Wednesday and Thursday.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 27, 2020
(ORIGINAL – 10:37 a.m.) Baseball’s worst case scenario may be on their doorstep as 13 Miami Marlins players and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 since Friday.
Early Monday morning the reports came from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal about just four positive tests coming since Friday.
Then, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported eight more players and two coaches tested positive. However, it was discovered that seven new cases among players, not eight, which totals 13 new cases since Friday. Some of players found out they were positive on Sunday.
Updating the Miami Marlins’ outbreak: The total number of infected players is 11 of the 33 who have been traveling with the team and two coaches, sources tell ESPN.
The Marlins-Orioles and Yankees-Phillies games tonight have been postponed. For now, the rest may be played.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 27, 2020
One question still unanswered, if the Marlins knew they positive tests on Sunday, why did they play on Sunday?
Major League Baseball released a statement that the Marlins home-opening series against Baltimore and the Phillies series with the Yankees are postponed “while [MLB] conducts additional COVID-19 testing.”
After the outbreak, the Phillies staff who work in the visitor’s clubhouse will quarantine.
Sources: The Phillies are quarantining their entire visiting clubhouse staff after exposure to the Marlins this weekend. Some were tested yesterday and waiting for results. Yankees brought their own clubhouse staff to Philly last night.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) July 27, 2020
Sadly, even if the Phillies test negative today or even tomorrow, they may not show positive tests because of the incubation period of COVID-19 as Rosenthal mentions below.
Another concern for Phils: Due to incubation period, tests they are taking today and tomorrow might not show whether they were positive from contact yesterday. Team supposed to travel to NY tomorrow night, but how confident can players be knowing results will not be up to minute? https://t.co/fPs9Cgm1xI
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 27, 2020
The one silver lining for MLB continuing the season is how they’ve structured the 60 game schedule to be regionally specific. Meaning, the East divisions of the American and National League only play amongst each other, but they won’t be in contact with the teams of the Central or West divisions. So, it could be relatively contained.
As for right now, we wait.
