The Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies will be shut down at least through the weekend as the effects of this week’s coronavirus outbreak continue to have serious ramifications on Major League Baseball.
As a result, the New York Yankees will now play the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday and Thursday at Camden Yards, replacing the Marlins, who were originally supposed to play there, MLB said in a release.
Coronavirus tests on the Phillies players came back negative, though the team will continue to isolate out of an abundance of caution. Philadelphia’s four games, home and away, scheduled against the Yankees this week have been postponed.
The Marlins, who have now had 17 personnel test positive—14 players and three coaches—may not play again until Tuesday, at Marlins Park against the Phillies. That is, of course, provided there are no new positive test results. They have been sequestered in their Philadelphia hotel since Sunday.
“All of our players, coaches and staff are, understandably, having a difficult time enduring this experience,” Marlins CEO Derek Jeter said in a statement. “We have moved to a daily testing schedule while we isolate and quarantine appropriately.”
The Phillies were caught in the vortex because they played the Marlins Sunday at Citizens Bank Park after three Marlins players tested positive. Seven other players and two coaches tested positive Monday. Four more players and a coach tested positive Tuesday.
The Yankees road games against the Phillies Monday and Tuesday and the Marlins home-opening two-games series against the Orioles had previously been postponed.
Like the Yankees and Phillies, the Marlins will attempt to replay their four lost games against the Orioles at a later date, although the vagaries of playing 60 games in 66 days may make that problematic.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giminez said Tuesday that the Marlins should obey the standard 14-day quarantine when the team returns to Florida to play any games.
MLB said that of 6,400 tests conducted since Friday, there have been no new positive results among the on-field personnel of any club outside of the Marlins.
