Nationals to return to play on Tuesday
The Nationals will begin their season Tuesday by hosting the Atlanta Braves after Major League Baseball postponed Monday’s opener of the teams’ threegame series because of a coronavirus outbreak involving 11 Washington players.
“The most recent round of test results of Nationals personnel included no new positives,” said an MLB statement Sunday night. “All of (Washington’s) eligible personnel will be able to participate in baseball activities at Nationals Park on Monday.”
Four Nationals players have tested positive for the coronavirus over the past week and are isolating, while another seven are under quarantine because contact tracing determined they might have been exposed to the illness.
General manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday that none of those 11 — a majority of whom, although not all, were supposed to be on the Opening Day roster — would have been available Monday. Rizzo has not publicly identified any of the players involved or the two staff members who also are under quarantine.
Washington has yet to play this season; its opening threegame series at home against the New York Mets on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday was postponed.
“Believe me, we’re in constant contact with MLB,” Rizzo said in a video call with reporters Sunday afternoon.
Rizzo has been adamant that Washington would need to be able to hold team workouts before facing an opponent. Pitchers were able go to Nationals Park one by one on Saturday and Sunday to throw bullpen sessions.
“Position players haven’t worked out in a week. And pitchers haven’t thrown any competitive pitch in that same period of time. It’s something that we’re taking very seriously here. We’re thinking of creative ways under the protocol and under the guidance to get these guys as ready as possible,” Rizzo said.
“It makes a lot of sense for baseball, player protectionwise, to have these guys go through their paces in a full workout before we take the field,“he added.
The reigning NL East champion Braves are 03, scoring a total of three runs in Philadelphia.
The Nationals and Braves are now slated to face each other Tuesday and Wednesday. The 2019 World Series champions, who tied for last in the division last season, would have Thursday off before heading out for a road trip to begin Friday against the Dodgers.
MLB did not announce when the first four games on Washington’s schedule will be made up.
Briefly: The Pirates placed third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes on the 10day injured list because of a sore wrist . ... Dodgers righthander Tony Gonsolin went on the IL because of shoulder inflammation . ... The Blue Jays selected the contract of former A’s pitcher Tommy Milone and moved reliever Kirby Yates to the 60day IL.