Marlins won’t play this week after 4 more players reportedly test positive for coronavirus

In this July 14, 2020, file photo, Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter watches the baseball team's practice in Miami. (Wilfredo Lee, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

MIAMI – The Miami Marlins’ games through Sunday have all been postponed after four more players reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 17 people in the team’s traveling party.

The Marlins were supposed to play the Orioles in Miami on Monday and Tuesday, two more games at Baltimore on Wednesday and Thursday, and then play a three-game weekend home series against the Washington Nationals.

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“Given the current circumstances, MLB believes that it is most prudent to allow the Marlins time to focus on providing care for their players and planning their Baseball Operations for a resumption early next week,” baseball said in a news release.

MLB also said that the Marlins have been the only team to have players test positive among more than 6,400 COVID-19 tests conducted since Friday.

The Marlins began their season this past weekend in Philadelphia, and out of caution, the Phillies’ home-and-home series with the Yankees this week has been postponed.

The Yankees will now play the Orioles at Camden Yards on Wednesday and Thursday, with additional rescheduling during the week of Aug. 3 to be announced later this week, MLB says.

The Marlins, meanwhile, remain in Philadelphia and are going through another round of testing with players quarantined in a hotel.

As of Monday, nine Marlins players on the 30-man roster, two taxi squad players and two staff members had tested positive, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The four players reported positive Tuesday were in addition to that.

“All of our players, coaches and staff are, understandably, having a difficult time enduring this experience,” Marlins CEO Derek Jeter said in a statement. “After receiving additional test results on our Major League team this morning, we reached out to the Commissioner’s Office with concern for the health and safety of our team as well as our opponents.

“We have moved to a daily testing schedule while we isolate and quarantine appropriately, along with enacting additional preventive procedures with our traveling party. We look forward to safely returning to Miami where we conducted a successful and healthy Spring 2.0 before departing on the road and experiencing challenges. For the time being, we will remain in Philadelphia and gather information in order to make informed decisions and prepare for our return to action next week.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that the Marlins’ coronavirus outbreak could endanger the Major League Baseball season, though he didn’t believe games needed to stop now.

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