When MLB launched its strategies to proceed with a 60- game season that involved groups taking a trip, the possibility of a team-wide coronavirus break out needed to be something the league considered.
The dangers of playing outside a bubble in a worldwide pandemic should have put MLB on alert to have instant strategies in location in the case of an outbreak. It hasn’t even taken a full week to get to this scenario, and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred hasn’t been prepared to deal with it at all
With a minimum of 17 gamers and staff members of the Miami Marlins testing favorable for the coronavirus, MLB is basically attempting to figure things out on the fly. The Marlins circumstance went from the group choosing over group text to use Sunday regardless of favorable cases within the clubhouse to MLB holding off the Marlins’ games for a couple days … to MLB pausing the Marlins’ season.
And this whole scenario has actually put multiple groups in limbo. It’s not a scenario that can be dismissed as “simply the Marlins.”
The full scope of this mess is almost tough to keep an eye on. Let’s offer it a shot.
First, the Philadelphia Phillies played an entire series against the Marlins as the contagion spread within that visiting clubhouse. The Phillies had their Monday and Tuesday games versus the Yankees held off as the Phillies underwent testing.
So, when can the Phillies get back to play? It can’t be prior to Friday. It may have to be longer.
Phillies under this strategy would return to play Friday versus the Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park– as the visiting team (under a previous plan due to Jays’ failure to play in Canada). Group would be isolated up until then, not technically quarantined. https://t.co/Np6OcS3o6h
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2020
But the Marlins were expected to play the Orioles this week, and the Phillies were expected to play the Yankees. Rather than have four teams just take a week off from the already-abbreviated season, MLB may be looking at re-drawing the schedule to have the Yankees and Orioles play Wednesday and Thursday.
And that’s just if the Phillies prevent a possible team-wide break out.
There is likewise the Washington Nationals who are set up to play the Marlins this weekend.
MLB officially announces the Nats/Marlins series set up for Friday-Sunday has been held off due to the COVID outbreak within the Marlins’ roster.
Implies Nats’ very first complete week of the season will consist of 2 roadway video games vs. the Blue Jays at Nats Park, and 3 held off video games.
— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) July 28, 2020
Generally, the MLB schedule looks something like this now.
All this truly shows is how fragile the experiment of an MLB season is. The league is managing health and wellness with team schedules and hoping everything exercises for the best … all while lacking daily rapid tests.
Manfred stated on Monday that he wouldn’t put this break out in the “problem classification.”
Rob Manfred, 19 hours ago: “I don’t put this in the headache category.”
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) July 28, 2020
If we’re not there yet, I ‘d dislike to see what qualifies as a headache. This season isn’t even a week old, and it’s been chaos.
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