Major League Baseball has delayed the entirety of the Miami Marlins’ games through Sunday after the team’s recent coronavirus outbreak.
MLB declared that Miami’s next six games, beginning with Tuesday night’s home game against the Baltimore Orioles, have been deferred, refering to the belief that “it is most prudent to allow the Marlins time to focus on providing care for their players and planning their Baseball Operations for a resumption early next week.”
The Marlins have moved to every day testing and will stay in Philadelphia, where they played a weekend ago, as they accumulate more data, as indicated by an announcement from group CEO Derek Jeter,
“We continue to take this entire situation very seriously,” Jeter said. “All of our players, coaches and staff are, understandably, having a difficult time enduring this experience. After receiving additional test results on our Major League team this morning, we reached out to the Commissioner’s Office with concern for the health and safety of our team as well as our opponents.”
The deferments were declared Tuesday among a series of planning changes including four different teams.
The Orioles, who were scheduled to host the Marlins in a two-game series beginning Wednesday, rather will have the New York Yankees for games Wednesday and Thursday.
The Yankees were scheduled to play the Phillies in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, yet that game authoritatively was deferred “out of an abundance of caution,” as indicated by MLB. The Phillies likewise were scheduled to play games Wednesday and Thursday in New York against the Yankees, who currently will travel Baltimore.
Likewise affected by Tuesday’s declaration are the Washington Nationals, who were scheduled to play a three-game series beginning Friday in Miami against the Marlins. A majority of Nationals players voted against playing the Marlins prior Tuesday, as indicated by ESPN and various reports.
Four extra individuals from the Marlins tested positive Tuesday for COVID-19, as indicated by ESPN and various reports, carrying the all out to 17 individuals from their traveling party.
“The health and safety protocols were designed with a challenging circumstance like the one facing the Marlins in mind,” MLB said as part of its announcement. “The response outlined in the joint MLB-MLBPA Operations Manual was triggered immediately upon learning of the cluster of positive cases, including contact tracing and the quarantining and testing of all of the identified close contacts. The Marlins’ personnel who tested positive remain in isolation and are receiving care.”
MLB likewise reported that it has led in excess of 6,400 tests since this past Friday, and there have been no new positive results for COVID-19 among on-field personnel from the other 29 groups other than the Marlins.
“The difficult circumstances of one Club reinforce the vital need to be diligent with the protocols in all ways, both on and off the field,” MLB said. “We will continue to bolster our protocols and make any necessary adjustments. The realities of the virus still loom large, and we must operate with that in mind every day. We are confident that Clubs and players will act appropriately, for themselves and for others, and the data provides reason to believe that the protocols can work effectively.”
Extra schedule changes will be reported not long from now.
