Whenever the word “quarantine†comes up, it usually doesn’t mean anything good is happening. The New York Yankees are scheduled to face off against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday evening in their next series of the 2020 regular season. However, that is now in jeopardy after the Phillies faced off against a coronavirus ridden Miami Marlins squad.
The Marlins tested their team after Sunday’s game against the Phillies, as eight players and two coaches tested positive. About 40% of their active players are now positive with COVID-19, and 11 players will now have to go into quarantine, according to Jon Heyman of MLB network.
Phillies visiting clubhouse is being fumigated “50 different ways” with Marlins there all weekend as a Yankees prepare to go in there. Phils-Yanks hasn’t been canceled yet but it’s a possibility.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 27, 2020
How does this affect the New York Yankees?
Since the Phillies are coming off a series against Miami, they have to be extra careful that they did not contract the virus. They have already administered tests to the players and coaching staff, and the Yankees have been isolated in the visiting clubhouse. They have already fumigated the visiting clubhouse 50 times over.
With Miami’s series against the Baltimore Orioles already canceled, the Yankees are in serious jeopardy of missing several games due to the Philadelphia Phillies players coming in contact with the virus. Clearly, the Yankees want to be as careful as possible, which attests to their usage of masks during intrasquad play as a precaution.
This outbreak could have devastating effects on the regular season, which is already set to play 60 games in just 65 days. Realistically, the Marlins will have to call up players from their taxi squad or simply miss the next two weeks of games, pushing the playoffs back that same time frame.
If the Phillies, in fact, do test positive with the virus, the Yankees will next face off against the Boston Red Sox on July 31. Luckily, the condensed schedule would give the team four extra days to heal and continue practicing. They’re coming off a series win against Washington Nationals, which they took two of three games.