Phillies Receive No New Positive COVID-19 Tests
The Phillies have received the results of Saturday's COVID-19 testing, which returned no positive results, the team announced Sunday.
The team will work out at its home stadium Sunday in preparation for its Monday game against the Yankees.
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 last Sunday. As a result of the three Phillies' positive tests, the team has not played since then.
MLB's Department of Investigations is expected to finish a report on the origins of the Marlins' COVID-19 outbreak in the coming days, according to Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci.
While MLB has no definitive answer as of Friday afternoon regarding the initial origin, Verducci reports that a source familiar with the investigation characterized the initial information as leading to “clearly a breakdown with adherence to the health and safety protocols away from the ballpark.”
VERDUCCI: How Does MLB Move Forward?
According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Marlins had no new positives from tests taken Saturday.
The Brewers-Cardinals was also impacted after two St. Louis players tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Friday's game was rescheduled as a doubleheader on Sunday after two Cardinals players tested positive, and Saturday's matchup reportedly was postponed when four additional members—one player and three staffers—reported positive tests.
Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain became the latest MLB player to opt out of the 2020 MLB season on Saturday following the postponement of Saturday's contest.
On Friday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred reportedly told MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark that if the sport doesn't improve its handling of the coronavirus, it could shut down for the season.
However, Manfred later backtracked the remarks and said the league's COVID-19 outbreak will not shut down its season.
MARTELL: Manfred’s Bluff to End Season Further Exposes Problems of Pandemic Baseball
"We are playing," Manfred told ESPN's Karl Ravech. "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."
The Phillies will resume play with a 1-2 record.
