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.
No. Just make the players behave.
what if they were infected by coaches or other support personnel?
Vizionarie, wouldn’t you love to know who patient zero was and how he got it?
For a major league player, Alcohol is a bigger risk factor than than Covid, but because people south of 40 are vectors and spread this virus to people who are in danger, it just keeps going. I think if this virus affected 20 and 30 year olds like it affected 70 year olds, I think we’d almost be out of this. But too many people under 40 treat this like the flu, and to them, it is like the flu.
Just end the season but allow for a series of exhibitions between local teams if possible. Such won’t give the league the TV playoff revenue but might in the short term give fans something to chew on for next season.
wow, forgot that MLB was a charity organization
It’s called good will and with next year’s PA agreement around the corner, both sides could use it. Perhaps the union and league will agree to simply extend the current agreement. Warts and all it might be the best alternative and I still say players becoming free agents should have the option of playing one more year at say 80% of this year’s rate. They a,so need to work out arb eligible deals. If not, many might just get released which will also have an effect on free agency.
Short term extending the current agreement is what I meant.
It is going to be the last team standing. The World Series goes to the team that can field 9 guys. Maybe like a reality TV episode, there are progress reports on teams ability to field 9.
Fans are not interested in exhibition games
So you want to end the season now? Stop playing real games but play exhibition games?? Makes no sense. Are you saying you can only get Covid in real games
I was thinking of eliminating travel and allow players to live at home. 2020 is already just an exhibition. Everyone is trying to get to the networks’ playoff pot of gold but is it realistic? This is not baseball as we know so why try to fool ourselves? Other major sports are trying to finish out the started season, they have isolated themselves and the number of needed games is finite. They also need to stop the canned fan noise. Timing has been off and it just makes the product look worse (IMO). If my idea sucks or can’t be done, acknowledge this is not wi4king and protect everyone by shutting it down.
I agree there halo, reverse the age of who it affects and we have a different outcome altogether.
Goodwill doesn’t (immediately) pay the bills, and it certainly doesn’t come with insurance. If the season were shut down, I highly doubt that players are going to risk multi-million dollar contracts to play feelgood exhibitions.
At this point, it’s too late. The virus is on teams, and hard to contain. 40+ games postponed. It’s time to to admit this was both a mistake, and horribly botched by players and management.
or guys can start following the rules and this can stop happening. Marlins are even coming back now. it might end up being a 50 or even 40 game season, but that’s better than nothing. and again, players dont like it, they can opt out.
stay in ur basement?
Why? Because a few idiots on 2 teams went to high-risk places? No thanks, penalize the ones who went to those places.
TheRoyal. I think it’s obvious the Marlin’s players did exactly that, but we don’t know about the Cardinal players yet.
I think a casino is a high risk place.
The casino theory has been debunked. It doesnt fit the time frame.
Newsflash. There are idiots on each of the 30 teams. Just like there are idiots everywhere in the U.S. Some places there are more idiots. But every team has this potential risk. The problem is that once someone or two people make a bad decision, it’s not just them that get infected but a good chunk of your team. It’s too late when you get the first positive test.
if it was more wide spread sure. but since it was only two teams so far . because of players going out. than there no reaosn to shut it . if anything put those two teams season on hold
Tigers are going to be bad for a long time.
Course you want it shut down.
No one has provided clear evidence of how the two teams became infected. Even if the source is identified, we don’t need the names. This needn’t be a witch hunt, and other players likely broke protocol in similar manners and have been fortunate enough not to become infected.
gbs42
Not true. The commissioner’s memo was pretty clear evidence the Marlin’s players broke protocol off the field.
Add that to everything we are hearing, and I think it’s pretty obvious the Marlin’s players screwed up big time.
Yes, they screwed up, but the specifics Bob Nightengale and Jerry Hairston Jr have thrown out – clubs, casinos – are unsubstantiated.
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.