John Raoux / Associated Press
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Monday the league will continue with the 2020 season after the Miami Marlins experienced a COVID-19 outbreak.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers reported that at least 13 team members tested positive for the coronavirus.
Manfred said on the MLB Network that the owners did not seriously consider the idea of stopping the season and that league officials “believe protocols are adequate to keep our players safe,” according to the Los Angeles Times‘Bill Shaikin.
“I don’t put this in the ‘nightmare’ category,” Manfred said.
He added that MLB staff feel that “we can keep people safe and keep playing,” according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
ESPN’s Marly Rivera relayed more comments from Manfred: “We were hoping that we would have positive results at some point. I remain optimistic that protocols are strong enough to allow us to play even in an outbreak like this and complete our season.” “
The positive evidence from the Marlins shows the risk of resuming sports during the pandemic. Unlike other American leagues, MLB has not moved its operations to a single place to host games, where it could closely monitor the parties involved.
Manfred said such a “bubble” plan would not have been feasible, according to ESPN. Don Van Natta Jr .: “The duration would have been much longer: the longer you spend, the more people you have, the less likely you are to be able to make the bubble work … I’m just not sure it was viable for us.”
The “Arizona plan” had gained some traction in the spring. The players and coaches would have stayed in the Phoenix area during the season and would play in the stadiums there. As Manfred alluded, the logistical obstacles would have been many.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher David Price, who chose to exit the season, questioned Monday whether Manfred and MLB were giving enough importance to the health of the players:
David Price @ @DAVIDprice24
Now we can REALLY see if MLB is going to put players’ health first. Remember when Manfred said the players’ health was PARAMOUNT? Part of the reason I’m at home right now is because the health of the players didn’t come first. I can see that that has not changed.
Manfred went to the tweet and said “he disagrees[s] with David’s comments “and that health” was the most important thing [issue] to all of us, “according to JP Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group.
ESPN’s Karl Ravech noted that Manfred has the authority to indefinitely pause or cancel the season. The commissioner acknowledged that he would suspend play for a team if the positive tests “made him completely uncompetitive,” according to the Miami Heraldit’s Barry Jackson.
Some would say that is true for the Marlins right now. It is also unclear whether they have experienced the height of their outbreak.
Manfred said in MLB Network says Miami will not play the Baltimore Orioles on Monday or Tuesday, but will do so on Wednesday if additional tests by the team yield “acceptable” results.
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