Baseball’s restart has been thrown into disarray after a coronavirus outbreak in the Miami Marlins camp forced the cancellation of two of Monday night’s games.
More than a dozen members of the Marlins team and staff have tested positive for the virus, leading to the cancellation of their game against the Baltimore Orioles and that between their most recent opponents, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the New York Yankees.
The major league season had been significantly delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and a condensed campaign, with each team playing 60 games instead of the usual 162, began last Thursday.
Unlike other professional US leagues such as the NBA and MLS, teams are continuing to play games in their own stadiums, following a tailored schedule which is designed to limit travel.
Nine Marlins players and five staff members received positive results in tests conducted Friday, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the results hadn't been publicly disclosed.
Major League Baseball announced the postponement of both games about eight hours before the scheduled first pitch, and said additional COVID-19 testing was being conducted.
"The members of the Marlins' traveling party are self-quarantining in place while awaiting the outcome of those results," MLB said in a statement.
The Marlins' outbreak raised anew doubts about MLB's ability to finish a 60-game season barely underway amid a pandemic.
"The health of our players and staff has been and will continue to be our primary focus as we navigate through these unchartered waters," Marlins CEO Derek Jeter said in a statement. "Postponing tonight's home opener was the correct decision to ensure we take a collective pause and try to properly grasp the totality of this situation."
Additional reporting by AP.
