‘Heightened awareness’ after Marlins’ outbreak of coronavirus

OAKLAND >> A coronavirus outbreak within the Miami Marlins organization rocked Major League Baseball on Monday morning, but the Oakland A’s afternoon series finale against the Los Angeles Angels proceeded as planned in the California sunshine.

For the first time, A’s first baseman Matt Olson put on a mask when Albert Pujols reached base in the second inning, and did the same, as did every baserunner that followed. It was a slight on-field tweak in the wake of 14 Marlins players and staff testing positive for the virus in recent days.

“There’s heightened awareness because what everybody was hoping wouldn’t happen, did,” manager Bob

Melvin said.

Things seemed to be moving smoothly in MLB’s first few steps into the regular season. But, now there’s palpable concern. Baseball is a socially distanced game, but even if a team knows it’s being diligent with safety protocols internally, it can’t control what other teams do. Players and managers don’t know the full extent to which visiting teams’ hotels and other travel accommodations are following the protocols needed to keep surroundings safe.

The A’s will take their first road trip, to Seattle, on Friday. Melvin acknowledged he’s a little unsettled about the trip.

“What went down (Monday), obviously guys are talking about it,” Melvin said. “Preparation is like it normally is, yet there’s a heightened awareness.”

On a call with reporters, Angels manager Joe

Maddon said he wasn’t concerned about his team leaving the hotel. Melvin echoed Maddon.

“I don’t think our guys want to go out,” Melvin said.

MLB announced games scheduled to be played between the Marlins and Orioles in Miami have been postponed. Games between the Philadelphia Phillies — who the Marlins played this weekend — and the New York Yankees were postponed, too.

A’s pitcher Daniel Mengden said he isn’t too concerned about hitting the road.

“We all know this possibility could happen to any team,” Mengden said. “We’re taking the safety precautions MLB implemented. We’re following the rules, we’re doing everything we’re supposed to do. I think it’s going to be more a team-by-team basis.”

Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at UC San Francisco, expressed a level of resignation to the possibility of players in high-case areas becoming infected through contact with the outside world.

“I think you have to understand that Florida is one of the epicenters of this disease in the U.S. These guys are going home to their family every night and it’s not unimaginable that one of them might have been infected,” he said, adding that even being careful within a team group can’t mitigate risk entirely. “It’s not like when they’re in the bubble or traveling, it’s when they’re at home that the exposure can occur. There’s a lot of contact with the outside world, and I think some of this was bound to happen especially in high incident areas like Miami.”

The A’s postseason hopes are giving them extra motivation to stay inside. They can only hope other teams stay as diligent.

“Our team is as deep as anyone’s, if not deeper,” Robbie Grossman said. “Keeping our fingers crossed because our team is as good as anyone’s.”