A new COVID-19 issue is facing Major League Baseball, as Friday’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers has been postponed in wake of two Cards players testing positive for the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the league’s biggest outbreak thus far continues to pose problems, as another Miami Marlins player reportedly tested positive for the virus Friday, bringing the club’s infected total to 20 (18 players, two coaches).
The Marlins have been quarantined in Philadelphia since their initial wave of positive tests came to light after a three-game series against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park last weekend. It now appears the Fish are making moves.
ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers reported Friday the Marlins are getting sleeper busses to take infected members of the team back to Miami. Meanwhile, those not infected reportedly will stay in Philadelphia, before then continuing on with the season.
News out of Philadelphia where the Marlins have been holed up for over a week: Team is getting sleeper buses to take the infected players/personnel back to Miami. That's a long ride
Rest will stay, then head to Baltimore, NY and Buffalo for what will be a really long road trip
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) July 31, 2020
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The Marlins haven’t played a game since Sunday, and their games for this weekend already have been postponed.
They’re scheduled to face the Phillies for three games in Miami starting Tuesday, so that series presumably could shift to Philadelphia, after which the Marlins would travel to face the New York Mets at Citi Field and the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field, a Triple-A ballpark in Buffalo.
Under those circumstances, the Marlins wouldn’t play their first home game until Aug. 14 against the Atlanta Braves. Although as ESPN.com points out, Miami-Dade County currently requires a 14-day quarantine for people coming into the area from New York — which the Marlins would be — so that’s another potential hurdle.
All of this really is a nightmare situation that keeps getting worse. And it’s obviously most troublesome for the players/personnel infected by the virus. According to Craig Mish, they’ll report to a single isolated quarantine location upon returning to Miami from Philadelphia — which, by the way, is about an 18-hour nonstop bus ride.
As @JesseRogersESPN reported the Marlins have plans to bus players who tested positive back to Miami. However, none of them are going home. I can report they are going to a single isolated quarantine location.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) July 31, 2020
Imagine being the bus driver(s). Yikes.
