The no. 4 and 7 trains will convert all weekend long, at least in a baseball game.
A day after a Mets positional player and coach tested positive for COVID-19 – postponed Thursday’s game in Miami and the Subway Series opener on Friday – MLB announced that the Yankees and Mets will not play at all this weekend , to prevent precautions and to allow for additional testing and tracking of contacts.
The first installation of the Subway Series was intended to continue on Sunday at Citi Field. The teams are scheduled to meet next weekend at The Bronx, at which time doubles could be played, but the Yankees and Mets also have a reciprocal off-day Monday that could potentially pass one or two games. But with Mets players not allowed through the weekend at Citi Field, it’s unclear if team play would resume play without first holding a training session. The Mets and Yankees also have opposing off days on Sept. 3 and 14.
According to a statement released by the team, the Mets returned to New York on Thursday night and underwent tests. Further tests were conducted Friday. The player and coach who tested positive remained in Miami, in isolation or quarantine, as did all individuals who were identified as having close contact with the infected.
A sector official indicated that the Mets returned to New York instead of staying in Miami due to concerns about checking into another hotel in a city that has been an epicenter of coronavirus. The team used a larger jet than usual for the flight home, with players separated by at least 6 feet and instructed to wear masks, without even an exception for food or drink. The decision to return came after consultation with MLB and the team’s medical staff.
The Reds, Cardinals and Marlins are among the other teams in recent weeks that have dealt with players who test positive. The Cardinals went without a game before returning last weekend due to the severity of the outbreak two weeks ago. The Reds, who treated one positively, had three postponed games over a span of four days.
With the Marlins planning to begin a three-game series at Citi Field on Tuesday, Thursday’s thinking could be postponed as part of a doubleheader in the coming days.
For the Mets, the proposal happened at a less than ideal time. Not only were the Mets starting to break out of their offensive decline, they had won three straight games in Miami and were going home to face a banged-up Yankees team. But with the postponement, manager Luis Rojas can adjust again and maybe strengthen a pitching rotation besieged by uncertainty.
Among the possibilities, depending on when the games are restored, Jacob deGrom is potentially twice against the Yankees. The Mets ace, after missing a start with neck stiffness last week, had set off in Miami on Wednesday, removing him from the Rotation of the Subway Series.
If the Mets and Yankees were relegated for Monday, deGrom could potentially get the ball back to its normal rest and then return to the mound at Yankee Stadium five days later.
The downtime could also benefit Michael Wacha and David Peterson, who are both on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. Wacha would probably have thrown a bullpen session on Friday if the Mets were active, perhaps his last step before going back with the rotation.
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