Entire series with Nationals postponed due to COVID-19
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Mets will have to wait through the weekendto play ball.
Their series against the Nationals was postponed, Major League Baseball announced on Friday, due to continued follow-up testing and contact tracing involving members of the Nationals organization.
The Mets are scheduled to open the regular season against the Phillies on Monday in Philadelphia. First pitch will be 7 p.m. with Jacob deGrom on the mound.
“We want to play this weekend, but it’s an unfortunate situation happening here,” said Mets manager Luis Rojas. “I shared our sympathies with the Nationals. It could happen to anybody. But our point of focus has got to shift to Philly. Andthat’s whatwe’re getting ready for right now.”
The Mets will remain in Washington D.C. this weekend, where the team can continue using Nationals
Park to work out and participate in a sim game on Saturday. The Phillies hosted the Braves this weekend, leaving no space for the Mets to practice there. Thus, the Mets will leave for Philly on Sunday afternoon.
The Nationals, as of Friday afternoon, had four players who tested positive for COVID-19. Six others, including players and a staff member, were in quarantine following contract tracing. The entire team, even those whodidnottest positive, was in quarantine on Thursday out of precaution, per Nats GMMike Rizzo.
MLB has not yet announced when the Mets’ three games against the Nationals will be made up. The two division rivals play each other frequently throughout the 162-game season, with their next scheduled matchup later this month on April 23-25 at Citi Field.
Carrasco progressing: A key piece of the Mets rotation is on the fast track in his continued rehab.
Carlos Carrasco, who tore his right hamstring in mid-March, has “advanced really, really well,” Luis Rojas said on Friday.
Carrasco, 34, stayed behind in Port St. Lucie when the team broke spring camp andtraveled here onMonday. He has since throw na couple of bullpen sessions, per Rojas, and recently faced live batters. Carrasco threw oneinning — about 15 pitches — in that encouraging step forward.
VaccinesforMets?: Major League Baseball sent out a memotoall clubs earlier this week incentivizing players to receive COVID-19 vaccines when eligible. It’s not a requirement, but the league will relax a numberof protocols for an organization when 85 percent of its majorleague players and primary field staff, considered Tier 1, are vaccinated. The Cardinals crossed that 85 percent threshold on Wednesday.
For the Mets, everyone in the organization will be eligible to receive shots on Tuesday after New York State announced anyone aged 16+ will have the clearance to schedule and receive vaccines beginning April 6.