Cards-Crew off again; Cain out
Keeping an eye on the world of sports during the pandemic:
The coronavirus forced baseball’s 17th postponement in 10 days on Saturday, prompting at least two more players to opt out and casting doubt the league can complete a truncated 2020 season.
A Cardinals-Brewers game at Milwaukee’s Miller Park was postponed for the second straight day after one more player and several staff members with the Cardinals tested positive for the coronavirus in rapid samples, Major League Baseball said. The staff total of positives was three, a person familiar with the situation told AP. MLB said results of saliva tests would not be available until later Saturday.
The Brewers then announced that Gold Glove center fielder Lorenzo Cain, above, will not participate in the rest of the 2020 season.
Two Cardinals players were flagged for positive tests on Friday, forcing the series opener in Milwaukee to be called off. The teams had hoped to resume play Saturday and make up Friday’s game as part of a doubleheader Sunday.
The Cardinals learned of their first two positive tests Thursday night from samples taken Wednesday before a game in Minnesota. Players and staff were instructed to isolate in their hotel rooms, and the club said it was conducting rapid testing and contact tracing.
The Cardinals have not been to Miller Park since arriving in Milwaukee, and the Brewers have not reported any positive tests among their players since the season began. Despite that, Cain, a twotime All-Star, informed management that he no longer wanted to participate.
“We fully support Lorenzo’s decision and will miss his talents on the field and leadership in the clubhouse,” Brewers general manager David Stearns said in a statement.
The Marlins received no new positive results in their latest round of testing, MLB said, but second baseman Isan Diaz also opted out.
The Phillies, meanwhile, were permitted to access Citizens Bank Park for staggered workouts beginning in the afternoon.
MLB said no Phillies players have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week and while three staff members have tested positive, it appeared two were attributable to false positives.