Cards-Cubs held off by positive tests
The entire three-game series between the Cubs and Cardinals at Busch Stadium was postponed Friday night after two more Cardinals players and a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Cardinals have been off since last Friday, when two players returned positive coronavirus tests. Eight players in total have tested positive, including star catcher Yadier Molina.
The team previously announced that it had returned 13 positive tests from its traveling party, with seven of them coming from players.
The Cardinals spent five days in quarantine in a Milwaukee hotel before finally being cleared to travel back to St. Louis late Tuesday, when they returned negative tests for the second straight day. The Cardinals got workouts in at home and had been preparing to return to the field Friday.
Among the players who confirmed they tested positive for COVID-19 were a pair of All-Stars in Molina and Paul DeJong.
All-Star Carlos Martinez also went on the injured list, but no reason was given. Infielders Rangel Ravelo and Edmundo Sosa and relievers Junior Fernandez and Kodi Whitley also have been identified as testing positive.
Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said earlier this week that there is still some uncertainty about how the virus swept through the clubhouse.
The Cardinals believe it was introduced from someone asymptomatic who came in contact with the team.
Before Friday’s postponement, the Cardinals had already added three doubleheaders against the Brewers to a previously scheduled series to make up postponements.
Milwaukee will host doubleheaders Sept. 18 and 20 and will serve as the home team in the opener of a twinbill in St. Louis on Sept. 25. The Cardinals will make up this week’s series against the Detroit Tigers with doubleheaders Aug. 13 and Sept. 10. St. Louis had been scheduled to play the White Sox at the Field of Dreams in Iowa on Aug. 13. Those teams will play in Chicago on Aug. 14 instead.
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