According to a report by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Major League Baseball could shut down its 2020 season as soon as Monday if teams do not improve their management of the COVID-19 virus.
Passan says that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has contacted MLBPA president Tony Clark with concerns that players are not taking the protocol to contain the virus seriously throughout the first week of the season.
The news comes off the heels of two players from the St. Louis Cardinals tested positive before Wednesday night’s game against the Twins and a 20th player from the Miami Marlins testing positive after an opening weekend series in Philadelphia.
As a result, several games have either been postponed, moved or canceled in the first week of the season including the Cardinals’ opening game in Milwaukee on Friday night. The Marlins season has also been halted until at least Monday.
Per the report, another outbreak could entice Manfred to use his power to cancel the season altogether if positive tests jump over the weekend. It also mentions that “bad decisions are being made” with several players attempting to skirt the guidelines in the agreement between the two sides.
The Twins opened the season with four positive tests including first baseman Miguel Sano, but haven’t had a case of COVID-19 since. With the news of the Cardinals’ positive cases, it will be something to watch over the weekend to see if there is a residual effect.
