Major League Baseball increased testing in the Phillies in the wake of the Miami Marlins’ COVID-19 outbreak and so far so good.
Not only did the Phillies players test positive this week, but neither did the Phillies players test positive “from our admission selection process at the start of our summer camp,” general manager Matt Klentak said Wednesday.
MLB continues to exercise caution with the Phillies, who shared a stadium with the Marlins over the weekend.
The Phillies won’t play until Saturday. And they will continue to undergo daily testing, in other words, twice as much as the regular protocol that requires testing every other day.
“There may not be an end date (for daily testing),” said Klentak. “For now, we take daily tests and will do it until someone tells us we don’t have to. We assume we will take them for a while.”
Klentak was the first member of the Phillies headquarters to speak since the Marlins outbreak over the weekend. Here are some key questions they asked him and the key topics he touched on:
Pitching coach Bryan Price
She is fine and returned to work after not feeling well and quarantined over the weekend. All of her tests were negative.
What did the Phillies know on Sunday morning?
Manager Joe Girardi covered this after Sunday’s game. The Phillies were alerted that the Marlins had some players who tested positive. The Phillies alerted their players. There were no objections to playing.
In hindsight, that may have been a mistake. Girardi has indicated this.
Klentak said Major League Baseball knew about the Marlins’ situation even before the Phillies knew about it Sunday morning.
“The decision to play or not to play is an MLB decision and all I can tell you is that there was a lot of communication before that game,” he said. “There were others at the league level who knew about the positive test before us. So, the determination was made at that point that it was safe and so far it appears that (the infection) did not travel from one club to the next that it’s good for us. “
Does the Marlins outbreak change anything?
You can bet MLB will be wiser when proceeding with a game if there is another outbreak on a team. There will be some changes to security protocols. Teams will likely provide higher quality skins for players to wear. Players will be reminded to adhere to the protocols.
As for baseball, there could be some changes. COVID related deferrals will lead to double makeup. There’s a good chance they’ll be seven-inning games. Also, the 30 player roster can be used for the entire 60 game season, not just the first two weeks. Who knows, Phil Gosselin could end up leading the league on home runs.
Any other changes?
It is not out of the question that some teams will not be able to invent games. If that happens, the playoff points could be determined by winning percentage. It’s not perfect, but neither is this 2020 world, and baseball is just a subsection of that world.
“We know this season is going to be different,” said Klentak. “We know it will present a variety of challenges and all of us in the league will try to do everything we can to a) keep players and staff healthy and safe, that’s the first priority, and b) play as many games as possible. possible for our fans. That’s really the dual goal and if that comes with some competitive imbalances, that’s something we’ll have to live with. “
Are the Phillies being hit with these competitive imbalances?
Yes. Harder than most. Doubleheaders can wreak havoc on a pitching team, and the Phillies now have a Saturday. Furthermore, they could be hurt in many other ways by entering the double header. Following his exposure to the Marlins, MLB closed the Phillies out of “great caution.” MLB’s heart is in the right place because health and safety are the priority, but as long as there is a season, baseball does matter. Five days without playing, and several without being allowed to train in your own stadium, can put a team at a competitive disadvantage. It can also create a risk of injury.
“I don’t question that this week’s layoff has created many challenges for us, on and off the field,” said Klentak. “There is an administrative burden for many people and uncertainty for the players. The players are not playing baseball right now and they are used to playing almost daily. Now we are going to have five days off and we are going to increase it. With two games on Saturday, That presents its own health risks, perhaps not related to COVID, but orthopedic.
“The best we can do is try to get together, both as a team and as a league to make the most of it. It will take everyone’s effort to overcome it. I am not trying to minimize the challenge and its competitive elements. They are all very real. I think we have to put health and safety first. We really have no choice. That should be priority No. 1. “
Launch plans
With Friday’s game in Saturday’s double game, Klentak was unsure of the pitch order Girardi would use. The Phils had planned to return from the unplanned break with Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Jake Arrieta as their top three starters.
Arrieta has not yet started. Neither does Zach Eflin, who will follow Arrieta in the rotation.
After the weekend series against the Blue Jays, the Yankees rise.
This will not be easy.
But, after the last few months, we already knew.
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