Marlins shut down for a week

Major League Baseball has postponed all Miami Marlins games through Sunday in a bid to contain a COVID-19 outbreak among its players that could potentially endanger the 2020 season.

Miami, who opened their season last Friday in Philadelphia, have reportedly had 17 confirmed cases – 15 players and two coaches – over the last five days. The team will now have to make up seven games during the truncated, 60-game schedule after MLB postponed two of its games on Monday and five more on Tuesday.

“Given the current circumstances, MLB believes that it is most prudent to allow the Marlins time to focus on providing care for their players and planning their baseball operations for a resumption early next week,” MLB said in a statement.

The Marlins said their players are having a difficult time enduring this experience and that the team reached out to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred with concern for the health and safety of the team and their opponents.

“We have moved to a daily testing schedule while we isolate and quarantine appropriately, along with enacting additional preventative procedures with our travelling party,” Marlins CEO Derek Jeter said in a statement.

“For the time being, we will remain in Philadelphia and gather information in order to make informed decisions and prepare for our return to action next week.”

MLB also postponed the remainder of the PhilliesYankees series, scheduled to be played on Tuesday in Philadelphia and Wednesday and Thursday in New York, “out of an abundance of caution.” Their Monday game was previously postponed.

According to MLB, in over 6,400 tests conducted since last Friday there have been no new positive tests of on-field personnel from any of the other 29 clubs.

“The difficult circumstances of one club reinforce the vital need to be diligent with the protocols in all ways, both on and off the field,” said MLB. “The realities of the virus still loom large, and we must operate with that in mind every day.”