MLB Announces Two of Phillies' COVID-19 Cases Were False Positives
After three Phillies staff members tested positive for COVID-19 this week, MLB announced Saturday that two of those cases were false positives.
Everyone within the Phillies organization was tested this week after 18 Marlins players and two coaches contracted the virus. Miami and Philadelphia faced off last weekend, and at least three Marlins players had tested positive ahead of their game on Sunday. As a result of the three Phillies' positive tests, the team has not played since Sunday.
"It appears that two of those individuals' tests were false positives, and it is unclear if the third individual contracted COVID-19 from Marlins players and staff based on the timing of the positive test," MLB said in a statement.
The Yankees and Phillies, who were originally scheduled to play four games against one another this week, will play a four-game home-and-home series next week. It will begin with two games at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 3 and Aug. 4, followed by two games at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 5, and Aug. 6.
MLB has run into a slate of scheduling issues this week with the stream of positive tests. The Yankees traveled to Baltimore for a two-day series this week instead of facing Philadelphia. The Orioles previously were scheduled to play the Marlins, whose season is on hold until at least Monday.
The league's coronavirus crisis continued as this weekend's Brewers-Cardinals series has been derailed due to multiple St. Louis members testing positive for COVID-19. Friday's game was rescheduled as a doubleheader on Sunday after two Cardinals players tested positive, and Saturday's matchup was postponed when four additional members—one player and three staffers—also tested positive.
Despite the coronavirus outbreak across baseball, commissioner Rob Manfred told ESPN's Karl Ravech that the 2020 season will not shut down.
"We are playing," Manfred said. "The players need to be better, but I am not a quitter in general and there is no reason to quit now. We have had to be fluid, but it is manageable."
