Major League Baseball has released a statement regarding the delays in COVID-19 testing that have hamstrung the efforts of several teams to prepare for the season. The league acknowledged the issue but says it expects to iron things out moving forward.
While several teams are presently missing or delaying workouts owing to testing delays, MLB claims that “more than 95% of the tests under the Intake Screening period have been conducted, analyzed, and shared.” That leaves a not-inconsequential number of players and others that still haven’t passed the initial gate.
The league defended its overall handling of the early rounds of testing. On those samples that haven’t yet been tested, the league offered an explanation that seemed to contain a bit of an internal contradiction: “Unfortunately, several situations included unforeseen delays. We have addressed the delays caused by the holiday weekend and do not expect a recurrence.”
No doubt the league tried its best to avoid these testing snafus. And MLB notes its appreciation for “the great cooperation from the players as well as the hard work of the Clubs and many internal and external staff members under these challenging circumstances.”
But this is a results-oriented matter. While some early difficulties aren’t surprising, that doesn’t minimize the concern with the halting lab work. Preparing for and playing the 2020 season in a safe and logistically workable manner will require a smooth and efficient management of the coronavirus. It’ll be necessary to settle into a groove sooner than later.
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