Major League Baseball was forced to postpone the New York Yankees Vs. Philadelphia Phillies on Monday evening due to an outbreak of COVID-19 among the Miami Marlins ranks.
The Marlins had 14 members of the team test positive for the virus, accounting for 40% of the active roster. With the Yankees and Phillies failing to start the series opener, they could face off in a doubleheader if all of the players are cleared to play. The team administered tests on Monday and are awaiting results, and if everything goes well, the Yankees could be playing two games on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The Marlins, who travel to Philadelphia over the weekend, spent three days in their visiting clubhouse. The Yankees were scheduled to spend the same amount of time in that space, and despite the Phillies fumigating the area completely, it is best not to take any unnecessary risks.
The members of the Marlins’ traveling party are self-quarantining in place while awaiting the outcomes of those results. Major League Baseball has been coordinating with the Major League Baseball Players Association; the Marlins; the Orioles; the Marlins’ weekend opponent, the Phillies; and Club medical staffs, and will continue to provide updates as appropriate.
The Phillies are quarantining their visiting clubhouse staff, who unfortunately spent time around numerous infected individuals. Ultimately, every player and staff member must test negative twice to return to normal activity, but the isolation could last quite some time if any players report positive tests.
The New York Yankees remain safe:
On the bright side, there has been no positive test yet for the Phillies. They’re still going to the process of confirming. The Yankees are in good shape, coming off a series win against the Washington Nationals over the weekend. They are currently 2-1 on the year.
However, as the testing continues, the likelihood of the Yankees playing on Tuesday evening is improbable. It is better to be safe than sorry, so the Yankees could ultimately play a doubleheader on Wednesday and push a game to the back end of the season.