So many negatives have never been so positive for the Mets.
De team released a statement Saturday night saying two rounds of COVID-19 tests taken by the traveling party from New York to Miami late in the week have all returned negative. In addition, tests for all close contacts that remained in Miami were negative.
The tests on the traveling party were conducted Thursday night and Friday morning at Citi Field, after a position player and coach tested positive for the coronavirus in Miami, resulting in four straight days of postponement for the Mets – including the weekend Subway Series against the Yankees . The player and coach who tested positive remained in quarantine in Miami.
“The entire Mets traveling party will continue to be tested and remain in self-isolation,” the statement said. “We will wait for further MLB planning information and continue to provide updates as available.”
If further positions are not discovered the next day, it is conceivable that the Mets could work out Monday, a day before their regularly scheduled series against the Marlins at Citi Field is scheduled to begin.
The Reds recently had a player test positive for the coronavirus and had postponed three games over four days. On the more extreme end, the Cardinals continued extra positive testing after an initial outburst and went two weeks without playing.
One possibility that seems unlikely is the Mets and Yankees playing their mutual off-day on Monday. Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced on Saturday that he did not expect the series on Monday, the day before his team starts a series in Atlanta. The Yankees and Mets are scheduled to play three games in The Bronx next weekend, but double buyers could be added as needed. The teams also have reciprocal days off on Sept. 3 and 14.
In addition to posting the Subway Series games, the Mets need to find a make-up date for their postponement last Thursday in Miami. The Mets and Marlins are scheduled for a three-game series this week, but a doubleheader could be added, given that the teams will not meet again in the regular season.
The Mets could ideally use Monday as a workout day, as players are not allowed to use Citi Field this weekend. The Mets last played on Wednesday in Miami, winning 5-3 after Michael Conforto homerated in the ninth for the continuous runs. A day later, with Seth Lugo ready to enter the starting rotation, the Mets were notified about an hour before the planned first pitch of the positive test results.
After consulting with medical staff and MLB, the Mets decided to fly home from Miami instead of checking into a new hotel in a city that has been an epicenter of coronavirus. The Mets flew home on a larger jet than usual, in assigned seats that were socially distant. During the flight, players and staff were forbidden to remove their masks, even for food and drink.
Upon arrival back at Citi Field, the entire traveling party was tested. The player and coach who tested positive, along with anyone determined to be in direct contact with either of them, remained in Miami after quarantine. Players and coaches returned to Citi Field on Friday for further testing. The additional tests were conducted Saturday.
.
