Orioles Game Canceled After Reported COVID-19 Outbreak Among Marlins Players And Coaches; Games Could Resume Wednesday
MIAMI (WJZ/AP) -- Just three games into a season already delayed by the pandemic, the Orioles are headed back home to Baltimore instead of playing Miami.
An Orioles game scheduled for Monday night in Miami was canceled after a coronavirus outbreak reported among Marlins players in Philadelphia.
They won their game Sunday after four players tested positive Sunday. Then further testing of the team revealed nine more positive tests, meaning 13 Miami players and coaches are infected.
The Marlins will remain quarantined in Philadelphia where they played this weekend, awaiting more test results.
MLB Reporter Ken Rosenthal was first to tweet a source told him the game was canceled.
Source: Marlins' game tonight against Orioles in Miami has been cancelled. Team still in Philadelphia.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 27, 2020
Orioles GM Mike Elias later confirmed that the Orioles-Marlins game in Miami has been postponed to the Associated Press, which was then followed by a statement from Major League Baseball.
The MLB said it will be conducting its own testing and that Marlins members are self-quarantining in place while awaiting results.
"Tonight's scheduled games between the Miami Marlins and the Baltimore Orioles at Marlins Park and the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees at Citizens Bank Park have been postponed while Major League Baseball conducts additional COVID-19 testing. The members of the Marlins' traveling party are selfquarantining in place while awaiting the outcome of those results. Major League Baseball has been coordinating with the Major League Baseball Players Association; the Marlins; the Orioles; the Marlins' weekend opponent, the Phillies; and Club medical staffs, and will continue to provide updates as appropriate."
The city of Miami, where the Marlins play, has experienced a surge in COVID-19 infections. The Orioles were scheduled to play at Marlins Park on Monday and Tuesday, then the two teams were scheduled to play in Baltimore on Wednesday and Thursday.
Monday night, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told MLB Network play could resume between the Orioles and the Marlins on Wednesday "if the testing results are acceptable."
Commissioner Manfred sits down with Tom Verducci in Studio 21.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 27, 2020
Tune in to MLB Tonight after the game for the full interview. pic.twitter.com/WnZx8q5U8q
Some Marlins players texted each other about the team's health issues before Sunday's game, but there was no talk of declining to play, shortstop Miguel Rojas said.
"That was never our mentality," Rojas said. "We knew this could happen at some point. We came to the ballpark ready to play."
Said Mattingly: "It's fair to say guys are concerned about things. They want how they're feeling about the situation to be heard. I think it's fair. We're talking about health."
The Miami Marlins scratched right-hander Jose Urena from his scheduled start Sunday in Philadelphia.
Then news came that three other starting players -- catcher Jorge Alfaro, first baseman Garrett Cooper and outfielder Harold Ramirez -- all had tested positive for coronavirus, according to baseball writer Robert Murray.
The Marlins then delayed their postgame trip home amid concerns about a possible coronavirus outbreak within the team. The team remains in Philadelphia to undergo further testing. Manager Don Mattingly told reporters on Sunday that the players who had tested positive were quarantining in Philadelphia.
A spokesperson for Gov. Larry Hogan's office said the governor and the stadium authority are closely monitoring the situation, communicating with the team and awaiting guidance from MLB officials.
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Some Associated Press reporting was used in this report.