PHILADELPHIA _ The Miami Marlins' home opener against the Baltimore Orioles, set for a 7:10 p.m. first pitch Monday night, has been canceled as COVID-19 has spread through the team, according to a source.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday morning that at least 10 more positive cases _ eight players and two coaches _ surfaced after the team's latest round of testing on Sunday. That comes after four players received positive test results during the team's trip to Philadelphia, including three starters finding out before Sunday's series finale.
A source confirmed that more than a dozen Marlins have tested positive for the virus.
That means 12 of the 30 players on the Marlins' roster have tested positive for COVID-19. Two other players who were expected to be on the opening day roster also previously tested positive.
The fate of Tuesday's Marlins-Orioles game in Miami _ and the teams' games against each other on Wednesday and Thursday _ had not been determined as of mid-morning Monday, according to a source. MLB's chief spokesman and the Marlins declined to comment as of 10 a.m.
The team had already previously changed its flight back to Miami from Sunday night to Monday morning. They were waiting for results to come in from their latest round of COVID-19 testing Sunday morning. Results from the rapid tests normally take between 12 and 24 hours.
That new flight, originally set to depart at 11:10 a.m., was canceled before 9 a.m. Monday.
According to MLB's operations manual for the season, players and staff members are not allowed to travel or access club facilities following a positive test until after they have two negative tests at least 24 hours apart, show no fever for at least 72 hours, complete an antibody test and are cleared by a team physician as well as the MLB COVID-19 joint committee.
The agent for one Marlins starter said the players who were not infected were hoping to return to South Florida on Monday but didn't know for sure if they would receive clearance to do so.
Even with nearly half the roster having tested positive for the virus, the Marlins would still have enough players to field a team, because MLB authorized teams to have a 60-player pool to open the season.
To fill out its roster, the Marlins would need to promote players _ mostly prospects _ who have been training at the team's spring training complex in Jupiter.
MLB this season created a new COVID-19 injured list this season and it can be used when a player tests positive, shows symptoms, or has contact with someone known to have tested positive. There is no minimum or maximum stay on the COVID-19 list and players must test negative twice at least 24 hours apart to be activated, among other things.
The Marlins had not announced any roster moves as of mid-morning on Monday.
The Marlins who tested positive for COVID-19 during tests include catcher Jorge Alfaro, outfielders Garrett Cooper and Harold Ramirez and pitcher Jose Urena, according to sources. The identity of the eight Marlins players who most recently tested positive was not immediately known.
Meanwhile, MLB was discussing whether to cancel the New York Yankees' games in Philadelphia because of concerns about Phillies players being exposed to the virus during the Marlins-Phillies series over the weekend. The Phillies vigorously cleaned the visitor's clubhouse after the Marlins departed on Sunday afternoon.
Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto is among the most prominent players who have tested positive since opening day.
