The Marlins postponed their plans to travel back to Miami on Sunday amid fears of a COVID-19 outbreak within the organization, according to the Associated Press.
The team planned to fly home after an 11-6 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday afternoon, leaving them long before their first game on Monday night.
However, according to ESPN, at least four players tested positive for the coronavirus and were quarantined in Philadelphia. The team did not announce which players had tested positive.
Jose Urena was scheduled to start Sunday’s game, although he was scratched at the last minute. Catcher Jorge Alfaro, according to the report, was also placed on the disabled list before his season opener on Friday, although no reason was given.
The team now plans to fly home on Monday, manager Don Mattingly said. The team will arrive hours before their first game of hope against the Baltimore Orioles.
“We felt more comfortable flying in a group later,” Mattingly said, via the Associated Press. “We are talking about these guys traveling home with their families and their children, and that is why we want to be safe.”
The team had been in Atlanta for a couple of exhibition games earlier this week before flying directly to Philadelphia. The Braves announced Friday that their top two recipients, Tyler Flowers and Travis d’Araud, tested positive for the coronavirus and showed symptoms. Mattingly, according to the report, declined to speculate on where his players contracted the virus.
Several players texted each other about the outbreak within the team on Sunday, according to the report, though they never wanted not to play the game.
“It is fair to say that the boys are concerned about things,” Mattingly said through the Associated Press. “They want to hear how they feel about this situation. I think it’s fair. We are talking about health. “
The four Miami players are the last in the baseball world to contract the coronavirus. Juan Soto was removed from the Washington Nationals lineup for his first game of the season after testing positive. Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt Davidson tested positive Saturday after playing in his first game of the season on Friday.
‘You feel safer in Miami’
There were more than 4.2 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States as of Sunday afternoon, according to The New York Times, with more than 146,500 deaths attributed to it. The country has averaged almost 67,000 new cases each day in the past week.
Cases have also skyrocketed in Florida in recent weeks, and the Miami area is one of the worst coronavirus hotspots in the world. The state had nearly 424,000 confirmed cases, the second most behind California and nearly 77,000 deaths. Miami-Dade County had more than 104,000 cases, of which nearly 21,000 came in the past week alone.
However, despite the outbreak, Mattingly hopes to return home.
“It feels safer in Miami than anywhere else,” Mattingly said through the Associated Press. “You feel safe at the ballpark. I feel safe with my surroundings going home. It is much more terrifying on the road. “
Four Marlins players tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday, prompting the team to push its flight home from Philadelphia through Monday. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
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