The New York Yankees were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game series this week, but the Subway Series against New York Mets was supposed to be an easier matchup.
However, the four-game series across town has been canceled due to COVID-19 related issues. The Mets have become the fifth team in baseball to have at least one member of the organization test positive with the virus.
Prior to the start of their game against the Miami Marlins, one player and one coach tested positive, putting the rest of the organization at risk.
The Mets now join the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Miami Marlins as the teams who have tested positive at some point.
With the regular season a month in, there have been issues and challenges, but the league has prevailed up to this point. The cancellation of the series will not force the regular season to shut down, as MLB commissioner Rob Manfred stated several weeks ago that they would push forward amid the crisis.
Nonetheless, the Yankees will now have to wait until Tuesday for their next game against the Atlanta Braves. They recently sweep the Braves in a two-game series and will undergo another two-game series during the middle of next week.
The Yankees are also scheduled to face off against the Mets next Friday, August 28. The silver lining — slugger Aaron Judge will have plenty of time to rest and heal for his return next week, and players like Gleyber Torres, who left Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury, can take things easy.