The Marlins have received another positive test of Covid-19 among their players, with an alarming total of 18 cases, reports Daniel Alvarez Montes of El ExtraBase (via Twitter). The Marlins also have two positive cases on their coaching / training staff, totaling 20 members of the team’s travel group.
In better news for the Marlins, veteran outfielder Matt Joyce, who missed all summer camp, tested negative and was cleared to join the team, according to Craig Mish of SportsGrid (Twitter link). To be clear, Joyce was not among the 18 positive Marlins cases that have emerged since opening day.
The entire Miami alternative training site reportedly turned negative recently, and added several new players through exemptions and free agency as they seek to make up for the huge number of victims the Covid-19 outbreak has claimed on their team. . However, it’s troubling that the players continue to test positive despite the fact that it’s been five days since the team completed its last game in the opening series against the Phillies. Miami is currently slated to resume play early next week, but it’s unclear whether continued positive testing will impact that.
Certainly the risk of further spreading Covid-19 infections across the league is the main concern, but there’s also the matter of the Marlins being able to roll out a Major League roster whenever they try to return to the field. The team has additional players on reserve at their alternate training site, but of the group that opened the season there, only four had major league experience (Ryan Lavarnway, Travis Snider, Jordan Yamamoto and Josh A. Smith)
The Marlins have since claimed Mike Morin, Justin Shafer and Josh D. Smith out of exemptions in addition to signing Logan Forsythe and Pat venditte. Their additions are crucial, as the Marlins chose to take a very young group to alternate camp for development purposes. There are a dozen players age 22 and under, many of whom are not specially prepared for the big leagues. Presumably Joyce will need some time to build up on his alternate site, but he will give Fish a much-needed option in the relatively near future.
Commissioner Rob Manfred said earlier this week that the Marlins outbreak does not qualify as a “nightmare” scenario, although at the time, there were 11 known positives on the list compared to the current 18. And while the positive tests since Opening Day had been confined to the Marlins until this morning, the Cardinals have now also had a couple of players who tested positive, causing their scheduled game in Milwaukee to be postponed.
