2:57pm: Indeed there are 13 total positives, including seven players, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
2:34pm: The Cards will not go to Detroit as scheduled, Mark Saxon of The Athletic tweets. It seems now they’ll ultimately scratch at least seven contests, he adds.
It also sounds as if the number of players on the roster with infections is still on the rise. Saxon tweets that at least eight members of the organization have tested positive, six of them players. And another source indicates that the number may actually be 13 total positives.
2:21pm: The Cardinals have yet to announce the results of Sunday’s round of Covid-19 testing, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that the Tigers have already been informed that tomorrow’s scheduled game against the Cards in Detroit is “highly unlikely” to be played. Tonight’s game had already been postponed, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the entire Detroit/St. Louis series is in jeopardy. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Cardinals remain in Milwaukee, awaiting test results, despite the fact that they’d been previously scheduled to travel today.
Last Friday, a pair of Cardinals players tested positive for Covid-19, prompting the team’s scheduled game in Milwaukee to be postponed. The hope had been that a doubleheader could be played Sunday, but an additional Cardinals player and three staff members reportedly tested positive Saturday. Yesterday brought more positive results, although Goold notes in the aforementioned column that the club had some “inconclusive” test results. The precise numbers aren’t quite clear at present, but it seems at this point that the Cards’ slate of cases is smaller than the Marlins’ outbreak. That, of course, could continue to change as additional tests are performed. The Marlins had seven known cases on Sunday, July 26, but that had ballooned to 20 (18 players, two staffers) just four days later.
The origin of the Cardinals’ outbreak may well have been from players breaking health-and-safety protocols. Former big leaguer Jerry Hairston Jr. tweeted over the weekend that multiple Cardinals players visited a casino recently, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets today that he’s heard the same: “at least a couple” Cardinals players did head to a casino in their downtime. MLB has since further tightened its protocols on leaving the team hotel, he adds, but it’s nonetheless a discouraging reminder that the league’s safety protocols still aren’t being (and perhaps never will be) adhered to in universal fashion. That said, it’s also curious to see Heyman indicate that protocols had previously “strongly discouraged” leaving the team hotel but now prohibit that practice. Making a change at this stage feels reactive rather than proactive — and it’d be perfectly fair to question why it took a second outbreak for that change to come about.
As we saw with the Marlins’ outbreak, the tentacles on this type of team-wide infection can be far-reaching. The Phillies, Yankees, Orioles, Blue Jays and Nationals all had their schedules upended to varying degrees in the days following the Marlins’ season being “paused.” The Brewers have already been impacted in this instance, and it seems quite likely that the Tigers will encounter a similar fate. The Cardinals are scheduled to host the Cubs this weekend, and depending on the forthcoming test results, it’s possible that series could be impacted as well.
Shut it down.
I don’t think they’re going to make it through the season.
But as a Cards fan, if it’s true that players broke protocol and went to a casino, those players should be cut and the organization should lose draft picks, if not have to forfeit 2020 games (ditto Marlins).
I wish that that had been written into the agreement in the first place, because I do think ex-post facto organization punishment would be generally unfair, but this is just really stupid.
Those players should cut and organization lose draft picks? What a ridiculous take. How do you even know if these players contracted the virus from the casino? They travel from city to city and you don’t think there’s a slight chance they got it from somewhere else?
“If it’s true” being the operative part of my post, but thanks for breezing past that.
And yeah, putting the whole league at risk to play some blackjack should be grounds for organizational punishment. And if I were running an organization, I wouldn’t want someone stupid enough to go to a casino during a pandemic while I’m trying to complete a 60 game season in 66 days on my payroll.
Still a ridiculous take to cut players and take away draft picks from a team for catching this virus. I didn’t breeze past that. Fines would be more than appropriate if they were actively trying to break MLB regulations. These guys are human beings too
Baseball pun. Fortunately you are not running the team! I mean come on, these guys are adults and to punish the team as your saying is just plain stupid!
baseball pun.
“I don’t think they’re going to make it through the season.”
If boys south of 30 act like boys south of 30, then you are right.
If players are going to be stupid there’s no way they get through this. But with even players who are being responsible travelling constantly and not being confined to controlled environments (like the NHL and NBA bubbles), I think it’s unlikely they can finish. The virus isn’t sufficiently controlled here.
Baseballpun. I don’t know how old you are, but when I was in my 20s I partied. I partied more in my twenties than all the other decades of my life combined.
I imagine that’s true for most “boys”.
That is some interesting insight into a young Halo Fan, but not really relevant to what I said.
baseballpun.. ya sure?
“If players are going to be stupid there’s no way… ” Why do you think they act so stupid?
I’m saying that I don’t think it matters how stupid they act, they can’t run the season they way they’re trying to without the virus being contained across the country. The “boys being boys” thing is immaterial (though I agree that whatever chance they would otherwise have of finishing will be crushed if people act stupid).
“boys south of 30” is a common catchphrase said by middle-aged individuals sitting at the bar. oh those young people! so irresponsible. if we do the same thing though it’s fine because we know better.
Darkside.. how old are you? Yes it’s common because we remember how much fun we had in our 20s. If you are in your 20s, and you are not having fun, that’s on you.
Halo – please stop with the “I am right all the time” crap –your schtick is losing the appeal it once had.
Cut and lose draft picks? Geez
And forfeit wins. Yes, forfeits by the Cards…that would funny. And I certainly will laugh
No. The Tigers don’t WANT extra wins.
So if the Cardinals find that Bader or Wong went to the casino and got the virus there, the team s hould cut them? Wow, you’re naive.
I didn’t say they would be cut, I said they should. I don’t think you know what “naive” means.
And Bader is going to be cut as soon as Carlson starts getting ABs anyway. He can’t hit and never will.
And yeah, if Wong put the entire season in jeopardy by going to a casino, cut him.
As if fans around baseball needed more reasons to dislike the Marlins and Cardinals.
If the Yankees and Red Sox are next, I bet ESPN will run a 48-hour telethon for them.
Do they play those games at a later date or what’s happening?
It’s why they decided to make doubleheaders only 7 innings. They knew they would have to play a handful of them for a situation like this.
Might be two handfuls…..
They need to keep playing. Is the 2020 season perfect. Heck no. But, they need to get the kinks out now as they prepare for 2021. Hate to break it to folks, but Covid isn’t goong away any time soon. If anything, cut next season down to 140 games and give more days off to make up games.
Yes, yes, yes and yes
I don’t think playing 60ish games is going to help them work the kinks out for next year. But whatever. They can keep going until it’s untenable if they want, but I don’t think they’re going to get through this year, and I just hope nobody else (Eduardo Rodriguez) has serious problems or worse before they’re forced to stop.
One rumor has it that the marlins getting the kinks out is what got them in this mess..
the problem with this is that the league is already up against it with scheduling. there’s no way they’re going to finish the season on time with all these postponements. by the time all teams play the same amount of games, you’re already halfway into the DS.
All teams won’t play the same amount of games, that’s already been decided. They will play what they can fit in for every team and then winning percentage, not record, is what matters.
It was so dumb to even try to get this stupid 60 game season in this year. Trust me, I rejoiced at the thought of live sporting events being back on TV. I was getting sick of watching rerun after rerun of sports. But to think your going to get 22-25 year old kids (some that don’t speak a word of English) to follow these strict protocols was ignorant right from the word go. I give it 2 weeks and it will be bye bye MLB and God forbid this but NFL and NCAAF may be next. God help me if there’s a Fall without football! 🙁
What exactly should we trust you about?
That he “rejoiced at the thought of live sporting events being back on TV.”
I’ll take his word on that.
Exactly what gbs42 said, I could care less if you trust that or not to be honest. Was simply stating an opinion and the fact that ANY sports fan was most likely feeling the same way when live baseball (that wasn’t from Korea and on at 4:30AM) was back. The rest of what I had to say was an interpretation of what my thoughts were of MLB even trying to cram a 60 game in 66 day schedule together without something like this happening. Take it for what it is princess and move on.
So these players get the virus while playing or they get the virus while they go out and live their lives. And in both cases, they will be 100% fine. It’s all optics and PR.
Potential long-term heart and lungs issues are hardly a guarantee of being “100% fine.”
Let’s ask Eduardo Rodriguez if this is all optics and PR. Maybe an infected person can pass it to you and we’ll see if you have any serious long-term health issues.
Certainly not a Phi Beta Kappa move by some of the players.
Tool…
If I had to guess, my guess is it was a Delta House move and not a Phi Beta Kappa move.
MLBTR comment sections:
“You can’t make me wear a mask or social distance!”
“Someone make these Marlins/Cardinals players wear a mask and social distance!”
Unreal the people calling to shut it Down.. all need to follow protocols that are working . From Jeter… Miami #Marlins CEO Derek Jeter: “I hope people see what happened to us and use that as a warning if you’re not following the protocols 100%. You can’t let your guard down. We’re battling something that is invisible.”
And following the protocols 100% still can’t guarantee no one will get it.
Jeter’s incompetence is only invisible to him.
There’s also the virus, I guess, but I’m not sure it’s the Marlins’ biggest problem.
i still think mikolas picked it up when getting his arm twisted
End this fake season
People really shouldn’t be throwing these players under the bus… sure, they probably did go out and get infected. But we don’t know for sure. It could have been the guy that cleans the clubhouse, or a housekeeper in the hotel, or the guy that cooked the buffet… we don’t know.
Tony Clark and the MLBPA are suspiciously quiet when it comes to facing up to issues around players breaking protocol. They fought against a bubble, now their guys are being absolute boneheads – but they’re leaving Manfred and co to face the music. Pretty gutless.
Do we have hard evidence of this absolutely boneheaded behavior?
ask Halo, he knows everything
Because the players are not afraid nor should they be. Let them play and it is up to them to avoid family members. Remember, all the rules and the protocols are for PR only. No one is actually afraid of sniffles.
Tell that to the 150,000 dead.
For the love of God, know what is in the stats before you rattle off and apply it, moron. You are EXACTLY what the news media wants….a brain dead moron.
The Cardinals and the Marlins should start their own league. Eventually everybody will be in it anyway
This is definitely Strike 2. One more team outbreak and MLB will have very few choices besides shutting the whole thing down. Masks really need to be worn everywhere except for on the diamond, and even there it might make sense to ask 1st basemen to wear masks in the field since they have to hold so many runners on and are often face to face with them.
Just cancel the season. To many games that will have to be Make up? Or they won’t count?
These players lives are in danger. How many Marlins players need to die so we can watch sports on the TV? Just cancel the season, and let the players have the year off so they can go out and just live their lives how they want.
….because the virus is only around baseball fields….
Dumb comment
Those who broke protocol and went to the casino should be docked their entire prorated pay for this season.
what casino?
Chin music.
I just love that phrase.
What other sport can compare with that?
Random musing
MLBTR — this is the biggest news all day — please stop with the minor injury and “this team selects some DFA slug from a loser list of losers” as a headline.
Really, the minor league and insignificant moves by the MLB teams are not of interest.
instead of postponing games they should have to call up players from the minors and play. I thought that was the reason for the 60 man rosters.
If you don’t postpone the games until you’ve caught all of the infections (which can take a week or more to test positive), then all the replacement players you bring up will immediately catch it too. You could end up needing hundreds of players.
The problem is that no team is taking masks or distancing seriously, they’re all doing it part-time which doesn’t help. If they took it at least somewhat seriously, then one sick player might infect a couple more but not dozens. The only reason the other 28 teams haven’t been decimated is they’ve lucked out of having the one sick guy enter the clubhouse so far.