BALTIMORE _ On second thought, maybe the Yankees won't be playing the Phillies next week. After two staff members _ a coach and clubhouse attendant _ tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday, MLB postponed their scheduled series this weekend with the Blue Jays.
So, the Yankees, who planned to make up their home-and-home four-game series with the Phillies next week, are again in a holding pattern.
"I hear probably the same kind of rumors and speculation that everyone hears but I don't really know anything as far as does that impact us at all next week," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "I guess in some way it could but I have no directive from anywhere right now. And I'm sure the league probably doesn't know exactly how next week's gonna unfold. So our focus is here and now we know we got the Orioles tonight and then are heading home for a weekend series after that."
The Phillies and Yankees had their series postponed after an outbreak hit the Marlins, who played in Philadelphia last weekend. The Phillies players have been tested every day since Monday and so far there hav3 been no positive tests among players. The concern, however, is how there was transfer to a coach and home clubhouse attendant. One visiting clubbie, who staffed the Marlins over the weekend, had previously tested positive.
The Yankees, who spent two days idling in the Philadelphia Four Seasons, pivoted and picked up two games against the Orioles in Camden Yards. The Orioles were in Miami Sunday night awaiting the Marlins for the home opener at Marlins Park on Monday night. They returned to host the Yankees in a hastily arranged series.
The Marlins have 17 players and two staff members who have tested positive. They had their season "paused," until Monday.
"I guess we had a little weekend trip to Philly to check out the Four Seasons. It's a nice little trip, but it's been crazy ... we've always stayed ready," Aaron Judge said. "That was our mindset going into this. We knew it wasn't going to be a normal year. No matter what we knew, things were gonna happen. There's gonna be stoppages, crazy travel. So it's something that we're prepared for and you're ready to get back out there, playing the game in Baltimore and get back to it."
