Following the Miami Marlins' recent coronavirus outbreak, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has reportedly warned players that the season could be shut down if protocols are not followed.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that Manfred told MLBPA executive director Tony Clark that if players don’t do a better job of managing the virus and adhering to league health and safety protocols, the 2020 season will not go on.
This report comes in the wake of 18 Marlins players testing positive, as well as two St. Louis Cardinals. In the league’s latest update on coronavirus testing, 29 positives were recorded out of 11,895 tests of players and staff (0.2%).
The league reported that 21 of the positive tests were from one club (the Marlins, though the league did not specify), and that 20 of the 29 positive tests were players. So aside from the Marlins, there were just eight other positive tests recorded by other teams: two major league players (likely from the Cardinals, though not specified), one Alternative Site player, and five staff members.
ESPN reports that should another outbreak materialize, like the one with the Marlins, then the season could be shut down by Manfred as early as Monday.
On the field, players have been seen failing to wear masks in the dugout when not social distancing, spitting, and high-fiving. Off the field, players seem to not be making the best choices either, as one high-ranking official told ESPN, “There are some bad decisions being made.”
How testing results shake out in the coming days will likely decide whether the 2020 season continues to be played as scheduled or if Manfred will shut the season down.
