On Sunday, the Miami Marlins took the field against the Phillies in Philadelphia despite having three players learn earlier in the day that they’d tested positive for COVID-19, just two days after a fourth player learned of a positive test on Friday.
The decision to play the game despite the positive tests came after a team meeting that likely should have resulted in a different outcome if proper protocol was being followed.
The Marlins learned before Sunday’s game that three players had tested positive for COVID-19. So they held a player’s meeting to decide if they should play against the Phillies. Can’t find that protocol in MLB’s 101-page manual.
— Matt Breen (@matt_breen) July 27, 2020
“I think that by any definition, this is an outbreak on their team,” Dr. John Swartzburg, a clinical professor emeritus at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, Division of Infectious Disease, told The Athletic after the game. “And an outbreak on a team means that the team needs to close down. They’ve got 10 percent or more of their entire (traveling) group positive. That suggests that there’s a high probability that more people are going to end up testing positive.”
Swartzburg’s words were prophetic in multiple ways as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported early Monday that eight more Miami players and two coaches have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the team’s total number of positive cases to at least 14.
As the team remains in Philadelphia to undergo more testing, the Marlins’ home opener against the Baltimore Orioles tonight has been canceled.
In addition to the game being canceled and Miami’s series against Baltimore now being in doubt, the long-term ramifications for the rest of MLB and the 2020 season are not great. Expect further fallout from this situation as members the Phillies, who were supposed to host the Yankees tonight, undergo testing.
While those results come in, Yankees-Phillies has been canceled.
Yankees-Phillies tonight has been cancelled, @Ken_Rosenthal first
— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) July 27, 2020
The Phillies organization becomes a hugely important factor now in where things go from here. Test results on personnel likely will be known this evening. I believe other games scheduled for tonight will be played.
— Karl Ravech (@karlravechespn) July 27, 2020
Also, keep an eye on the Reds as Cincinnati second baseman Mike Moustakas and center fielder Nick Senzel felt sick Sunday and did not play, a day after a teammate went on the injured list because he tested positive for COVID-19.
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