Yankees’ Opening Day saved by the bell in Washington D.C.

There was never a chance the days leading up to Opening Day for the MLB would be easy. Just seven days before the New York Yankees faced off against the Washington Nationals, reports bubbled to the surface, stating that the city had not approved the game just yet.

There were suspicions that the game might have to take place at one of Washington’s alternative sites in Virginia or West Palm Beach, Florida. The Yankees’ opponent currently has 10 players and one coach in the district’s 14-day quarantine, which commenced on July 3, the first day of camp, according to the NY Post.

With Florida struggling to contain the virus, the team was looking at their West Palm Beach location much less seriously. Virginia seemed to be a more realistic option, but luckily for both teams, the city of Washington has approved the contest that is set to occur in just six days.

Play Ball!

The Yankees currently have three players dealing with the virus and quarantining. DJ LeMahieu, Luis Cessa, and Aroldis Chapman represent those players. With two of them being starters, that puts a severe dent in the Yankees’ plans heading into the regular season. However, the expectation is that DJ should return shortly and possibly be active for the opening series.

According to the Post, there are six stipulations the players must go through after testing positive to receive clearance.

• An individual must test negative in an expedited test and self-quarantine while waiting for the result
• They must be asymptomatic
• They must undergo frequent temperature tests and symptom monitoring for at least 10 days after the possible exposure
• They must wear a mask at all times, except when on the field
• They must undergo a daily saliva test for seven days following possible exposure
• They must immediately self-isolate if they show symptoms or are otherwise instructed to by the team’s medical staff.