5:15pm: Nats manager Dave Martinez tells reporters that Soto has now received the required back-to-back negative test results from Major League Baseball’s approved labs (Twitter link via Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post). The team is simply awaiting league/city clearance for Soto’s return at this point.
11:15am: Nationals star Juan Soto is currently out due to a positive COVID-19 test, meaning he needs consecutive negatives before he’ll be allowed to return to action. It seems he’s currently registering mixed results in testing, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter.
Per the report, Soto has registered six negative tests — three from official league tests and three from team-administered tests. He has yet to string together two negatives that qualify to clear him for activation. Putting aside the phenom’s own situation, it’s yet another reminder that testing for the virus is anything but a foolproof means of ascertaining an infection.
For the Nationals, the first concern is obviously with Soto’s own well-being. From a pure competitive perspective, he’s obviously also of critical importance to the team’s hopes of pulling off a repeat title run. The charismatic 21-year-old carries a .287/.403/.535 batting line through his first 266 MLB games and was every bit as good during the team’s 2019 postseason run.
Al Hirschen
You shouldn’t expect anything else from this country in reference to these testings for coronavirus
Halo11Fan
You do realize this is MLB’s own private lab….. right?
But it certainly is an eye opener regarding how difficult it is to test for this virus.
heater
Just like most every other viral infection.
clrrogers
We have the best (and most) testing in the world. Things like this happen from time to time, especially with a new virus like this one. Overall, the country has done an exceptional job of developing and administering testing. Helping to prevent the spread is another story, but when taking into account the novelty of this virus, there’s no reason to complain about testing.
dclivejazz
There’s not much exceptional about our testing situation. It took eight days for me to get a negative result. The turnaround time for a lot of people is almost uselessly slow. .A big part of the reason the US has had a terrible response to the pandemic is because of how behind we’ve been with testing, from the totally botched beginning until now. Let’s be real here.
njbirdsfan
Thank you…eight days is useless.
In eight days, who knows many people you’ve possibly infected.
Wyoming Bison Expansion Team
Supposedly Corona hit placed in November 2019 well before China first reported in December 2019 and WHO said something about a week late.
Little too late at that point as here in Cali some woman in Santa Clara was the first around end of January and CDC didn’t start until February.
Who knows how long it’s actually been here. Hard to stop a spread when it’s been spreading ppssibly weeks maybe even months before precautions were taken.
Cali didn’t shut down till around mid March, almost 2 months after the first case.
Nervehammer
On that note my grandpa died of a pneumonia like illness while fighting lung cancer in January. Members of my family, including me, got sick as well. My aunt went to get tested for the flu. Negative for flu. Interesting. I was very sick and my workplace made me come in. My diabetic boss knew this and shook my hand when he gave me my $1.00 raise. He landed in the hospital from said illness. It seems almost obvious that corona has been here.
Ancient Pistol
I received my negative result for clearance to proceed with surgery in 24 hours. I did my test at Baylor University on Cambridge street in Houston about three weeks ago.
So, you can’t say it’s a national issue but more likely a regional and/or testing site issue.
Also, I did the nasal swabs (which is not nice at all) and I heard this is the only proper way to test.
xSpecBx
I live in Connecticut and my workplace offered testing for the entire company on a voluntary basis. My company consists of about 18,000 people. Testing was done by site over the course of a few weeks as we are spread amongst 3 or 4 different offices and manufacturing facilities. I had results back within a day. Very dependent on who is providing the test, their labs ability to turn around test results, etc. it can be done.
Ironman_4life
I have never been tested and they told me i also was positive.
terrymesmer
They?
twentyforty
Testing is a joke. Try testing during influenza season when as many as 50% of all “infections” are asymptomatics like these. The world would shut down annually…l
nowheretogobutup
What exactly are you saying about the testing? I’ve been tested in a hospital with the swab in the nose came back negative, you have a problem with that?
PapiElf
Seems similar to the Joey Gallo situation.
nats3256
To only talk about about the baseball side of things, the Nats have to get Michael Taylor out of the lineup. He looks more lost at the plate then he ever has. Soto being missing is such a huge hole.
Lloyd Emerson
And now MLB network is reporting that the Nationals team has voted not to travel to Miami for their series this weekend. I don’t think this abbreviated season is going to last more than 10 games.
Halo11Fan
It looks like the Marlins will win some games after all. They’ll win the National forfeit.
Smokin Joe Charboneau
I’d read that the Nats voted that they would prefer not to fly and to play the games in DC. I have not read that the Nats have refused to travel to MIA.
But if the Marlins are already in Philly, why not play as the home team in DC?
nowheretogobutup
I say the Marlins were relaxed in the pandemic situation and therefore they are paying the price. If they have to forfeit the season so be it. Let’s continue to play with other teams taking note and being more diligent.
drew ford
This corroborates many of the “conspiracy theorists” who claim that many of the positive tests in the southern states are false positives and that the numbers are nowhere near as high as claimed.
pnedwek
well technically Washington DC isn’t a state
Briffle2
Not technically, it’s literally not a state.
InPolesWeTrust
Chuckling aloud…..
BigFred
Or maybe the negatives are false.
cptstupendous
Thank you Fred!! I’d be far more concerned about a false negative than a false positive.
bucketbrew35
Are you positive about that?
terrymesmer
There were some bad tests early on, when standards were lowered in the rush to get testing started. But bad tests haven’t been a reported problem in a couple months, well before the surges in red states and California.
SalaryCapMyth
ROFL@Briffle. How often is the word literally misused and now when it’s most appropriate, a different word is used.=D
radzyfsu
Fears and feelings over facts
Halo11Fan
Rad, what fact are you talking about? That half of Soto’s tests are wrong?
If half of his tests are wrong, then how many other tests are wrong? The problem is we don’t have the facts.
dclivejazz
Not all these tests are the same kinds of tests. Apparently the Nats have been giving Soto tests for the presence of anti-bodies rather than the coronavirus tests, according to the Post beat writer. They detect different things and the anti-body tests have more issues with misleading results.
Smokin Joe Charboneau
Did the writer report why he was given the anti-body test? And is testing positive for anti-bodies clear a player to play?
terrymesmer
Cite a fact, not an online conspiracy slogan.
Troutaholic61
so who to say that the positive test is wrong as well ???fool proof?? yes on both ends . Its a Mess,, all of it!!!.
Halo11Fan
Trout…
If a player is positive and he test negative, then it’s a mess. If a player is negative and he tests positive, it’s a day off.
99 Captain Judge
Apparently, Soto’s results were in the abi-normal pile
losrojos
I’ve been tested for it twice and both times my tests were “lost” by the carrier in route to the lab. I’m sure the lab still reported them as positive. Wasn’t sick either time, had just been in contact with someone else who had to be tested. These players should just be thankful they get results back. I’m not the only one this is happening to.
Orel Saxhiser
Not COVID-related, but I have to re-do a blood test because the lab waited too long on results. Yet there are people who think we are the best at everything and the “greatest” nation in the world (as if someone has to be the greatest).
Halo11Fan
Yes, we are the greatest nation on the face of the Earth.
Smokin Joe Charboneau
Great, but flawed.
But for some, the flaws make the great things illegitimate.
drew ford
Actually there’s a country north of the border that is much better in many regards.
BigFred
…and one south of the border that has better Mexican food.
terrymesmer
Dial back the sarcasm! It’s on “blast”!
ukpadre
Only Americans seem to think that America is the greatest nation on Earth (or actually care for that matter). A lot of the rest of the world just pities America (especially since that orange Buffon took charge) or downright hates it. They look at the high rate of incarceration, gun violence, poor workers rights, right wing problems, insane health care costs, gang issues, drug problems, social unrest/injustice, police brutality, and then trying to police the world and failing, and say “no thanks, glad that’s not us.” Don’t get me wrong, other countries have their issues too, but they don’t ignorantly go on and on about being the worlds greatest despite evidence to the contrary. But you carry on believing what you want to believe if it makes you feel better…
Natsman1
Uh, the rest of the world does not pity the U.S., and I would know. And we are the greatest country, so you can wet the bed knowing that is a fact. And Americans could care less what you in the UK and the rest of the world think. Notice the huge amount of Americans desperately deporting to go other countries? No, you dont, do you. But the minute your puny little countries need help or in youre in a crisis, youll come running to us for help like a toddler screaming for his momma. But you carry on believing what you want to believe if it makes you feel better.
cptstupendous
Canada is literally saying no to Americans.
Natsman1
Americans have been literally saying ‘No’ to Canadian travel since forever.
nowheretogobutup
IF we all were to wear a mask for two weeks the virus would drop by 50%, but then you have the knot heads who will never wear a mask and spread the virus to thousands, sad but true
prov356
Careful ukpadre, your ideology is showing.
prov356
up – Please site a reference for your 50% stat because even the most stubborn proponent of wearing masks would probably question that stat, not out loud of course..
terrymesmer
> I’m sure the lab still reported them as positive.
Certainty in the absence of facts? That’s irrational, son.
losrojos
No, facts from the same media that reports everything you believe about the virus. Labs are being found reporting 100% positives because they are conveniently leaving out the negative results. It would also stand to reason they may be reporting any tests done as positives. I’m sure of that, son.
cptstupendous
Yet the individual in question made a statement of fact when he had no basis for said statement.
cptstupendous
You are sure they reported them as positive?
goldenmisfit
All I can say is my wife had to get tested luckily she tested negative. But, they make you sign a disclaimer acknowledging that there is a possibility you can get a false positive. All we should need to know about the legitimacy of these tests and their results.
terrymesmer
That America is a litigious country.
prov356
So, the take aways from this article:
-Soto isn’t sick and will be a welcomed addition back to the Nats’ line up.
-COVID testing is a joke and can’t be relied upon as scientific.
Every time Soto tested positive, it was recorded as a new positive test in the stats. That same tactic has been used across the country since this began which means the number of positive tests are grossly inacurate and exaggerated.
UsmcCardsnBars
Or this shows that if a star player is possibly positive and asymptomatic, they’re just going to test him all day until he gets 2 negatives in a row.
Also, if you look at the article where MLB reported their initial positive numbers, they are doing the opposite of what your suggesting. Instead of noting 80+ players in the 1800 player pool testing positive (4-5%), they noted they only used the initial positives and 20,000 samples taken to come up with .01%. So, technically they’ve only been counting one positive per player, but counting all the negatives, and even the subsequent positives as negatives.
mlbtraderumors.com/2020/07/mlb-mlbpa-announce-late…
prov356
Yes, USMC, however, MLB has to also report the positive tests to the “medical” community (aka Government) who then tally every positive test for the same person as a new “positive”. So I don’t doubt MLB’s reporting of the numbers. It’s the official numbers that get skewed once MLB reports them to the officials outside of MLB. So one guy has three positive tests before he gets a negative, that’s tallied in the official numbers as three new positives even though it’s the same person.
twentyforty
Bingo as to the joke that testing is. Fear mongering running rampant.
whosonfirst
Bring on the hunger games!
Halo11Fan
Baseball is a better game when Soto is playing.
nowheretogobutup
Its not the end of the world, one guy no biggie. Let’s get over it already
lettersandnumbersonly
chat rooms are nothing more than entertainment. very little if any actual “information” is discovered or transmitted in a chat room. it’s pure conjecture, opinion and heresay with a bit of quoted information with very little context and or an occasional link.
so take what is said here and in other chats with a very small grain of salt. certainly nothing to get worked up by and even less to go passing off elsewhere as fact.
*here ends my 2 cents worth. keep the change
Buzzed Capra
Sounds just like the news. Very little actual information is being transmitted on your nightly news. Just a lot of propaganda pushing the elites’ agenda.