This weekend’s series between the Yankees and Mets has been postponed due to the recent positive Covid-19 tests within the Mets organization, Major League Baseball announced in a press release. Newsday’s Tim Healey reported minutes beforehand that the league would be taking this step (Twitter link). Last night’s game between the Mets and Marlins was also postponed.
There have been some degree of cancellations stemming from positive Covid-19 tests each weekend in MLB since the Marlins played in the wake of a few positive tests on opening weekend. That led to a team outbreak which ultimately resulted in a reported 18 cases for the Marlins, and the league has since been more diligent and proactive in postponing games in an effort to avoid similarly widespread instances of the virus. While the Cardinals had an outbreak of their own, the Reds and Mets are the only other clubs to have had positive tests during the season. The Reds only saw three games postponed, and the hope here is obviously that the Mets will see a similarly brief stoppage of play.
When the game against the Marlins and the series against the Yankees will be made up isn’t yet determined, although the East-centric nature of this year’s schedule gives ample opportunity for doubleheaders and other makeup games. The Mets are scheduled to play at Yankee Stadium from Aug. 28-30, and they’re slated to host the Marlins at Citi Field from Aug. 25-27. The Athletic’s Tim Britton points out that Aug. 24, Sept. 3 and Sept. 14 are all mutual off-days for both the Mets and Yankees.
chippahawk
Just call it a day and come back next year, this is just getting dumb.
Larmando
My gosh ! Stop !
AssumesFactNotInEvidence
Oh no! Three games have been cancelled!!! It’s horrible, awful, terrible…
Ancient Pistol
chippahawk must be a Mets fan.
antibelt
No way. We need to figure this out so 2021 runs more smoothly. We already know we’ll need less games and more days off to be able to use to make up games lost.
liljoe12
Really? It s amazing the things we “already know” these days isnt it?
BuddyBoy
Posts like yours are what is getting dumb.
oldmansteve
This is just for 1 player testing positive?
Alex Jones
Yep, pretty silly – especially when you have 15 cases and it goes down to 0 like a miracle, believe me.
windycitykid89
Yeah totally. Pretty silly to make teams keep playing and have players who could become positive and don’t know it yet possibly spread the virus to others. Clearly you’re the doctor here.
marcfrombrooklyn
Is that you, George Conway?
Joggin’George
Isn’t that pretty much how it works? Doesn’t do much good to wait to shut things down until after several infected people have been exposing the other team.
oldmansteve
But why not quarantine that player, make sure everyone test negative which they have had 2 days to do, and activate someone from the taxi squad? One game or two should be all they need to postpone. Now they are rescheduling 5.
If one player shuts a team down for a week, what is the point of the taxi squad?
Joggin’George
Because by the time you find out what other teammates are positive they’ve already infected the opposing team and then there’s an even bigger problem.
oldmansteve
But it has been 2 days and no other players have tested positive. So we just cancel another 3? The process makes no sense to me.
Joggin’George
I guess its a case of being cautious and canceling 3 so the problem doesn’t snowball. I’m no expert but I’m trusting what “society” says about the need for extreme caution with this bug. And such trust goes against every fiber of my being but I’m trying to be a good sport since I don’t know the science myself. Hopefully I’m not being played for a fool. But I don’t mind being extra careful with something as comparatively frivolous as baseball.
jim stem
…and clubhouse, hotel workers, caterers, etc etc.
The problem is addressing how and where the player and coach contracted it.
marcfrombrooklyn
Two problems: it can take up to 14 days for an exposed person to become infected such that they test positive and are contagious, which wouldn’t be a problem if not for the high rate of false negatives in the rapid test (and occasional false positives–ask Ohio Governor DeWine). Even a 24 hour lag in test results can result in the virus spreading. There’s no easy sure solution to this, even with the semi-quarantine the NBA is using, just different degrees of risk. We all make these decisions in deciding whether to go to shop in stores or just order delivery, whether to have non-urgent doctor and dental appointments, whether to use public transit or not, whether to attend gatherings even with reduced capacity and social distancing, etc. It’s our reality and MLB”s as well.
antibelt
Inoculation period could be up to a week. So you may show negative for a few days but really have it.
windycitykid89
There were at least 2 positives. One player and one staff member. Also, they postpone the games for an incubation period to make sure nobody else tests positive. It’s crazy how some people still don’t understand this.
oldmansteve
How long of an incubation period do they need? 6 days? If it takes that long, why have a taxi squad?
ExileInLA 2
Minimum of 3 days until infection manifests to testable levels; can take 9-14 days in some cases.
jim stem
See, people who have been educating themselves and paying attention since March understand the timeline.
I realize not all parts of the country, or even each state, have had to deal with C-19 as others have. It’s just a shame those folks can’t fathom that they have been fortunate. Millions have been affected across the USA, whether it’s health or loss of income, and probably tens if thousands more before 2021 with all the places of education beginning classes.
oldmansteve
Jim Stern you are clearly the moral superior. Here is your cookie.
Orel Saxhiser
Steve Nebraska, what is the last grade you completed in school? There is money riding on your honest answer.
Technically correct
He’s got decent ones from time to time.
Having said that, I bet it’s B.S.
😉
Perksy
When Soto tested positive on opening day why did the Nats continue playing?
Technically correct
No. Mets player and Mets staffer. Come on Steve, MLBTR was all over this yesterday and you even commented in that same article 19 hours ago!!! mlbtraderumors.com/2020/08/mets-player-tests-posit…
oldmansteve
That is still one player so I am …. technically correct.
Technically correct
Words matter. I concede defeat on this one.
liljoe12
I can almost see the looks of glee on the espn dweebs reporting this news
Rangers29
I’m just saying, whenever this series occurs… Cole v Degrom would be a wild matchup.
DR J
One player tested positive and the whole series cancelled. Unbelievable.
Joggin’George
So how many positive tests before you’d start to take such precautions? This season should never have been attempted in the first place.
AssumesFactNotInEvidence
Guessing Cosmodeus is a teacher…
oldmansteve
Teachers are the real heroes. You know the type of hero who doesn’t face the monsters they are afraid of
Joggin’George
Cosmodeus is a bouncer. Believe me, I’ve faced some monsters.
Technically correct
Co-sign on the teachers being the real heroes. Now that they are officially “essential” can we pay them like they are?!?
oldmansteve
So minimum wage like most of the essential workers?
Technically correct
I mean, minimum wage should also go way up, but I don’t know how this is hard to fight against. People who make your life easier should be well compensated for their time doing that exact purpose. Anyone can make their own dinner or spend time with your lousy kids. But hopefully we all recognize the value of someone else doing that for you now that life has been disrupted for a solid 5 months. Teachers deserve far better than what we’ve historically bestowed upon them.
Ancient Pistol
With the substandard testing I’m not so sure. Do you realize that the level of English and math competency in the country has been declining in recent years. Should we pay more for a poor product?
usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2019-10-30…
Technically correct
No, we should not. We should instead invest resources to improve them, especially including the teachers themselves. How are you fighting against this?
Ancient Pistol
Invest? Do you realize for FY2020 the US will spend almost $1.3 trillion on education yet get results that are much worse than countries than spend a fraction of this amount?
Also, I wouldn’t feel too bad for teachers. Sure the national average is around $45,000 for a high school teacher but they don’t have to work for three months a year. I’m a college professor and I get the same perks.
joncoley
Great! You know how much I paid for these tickets?!?
jim stem
Three games is better than three weeks. I’m guessing they cancelled while waiting for more results and to also retest to be sure. These things still take time. And by now, one would think people know how this thing can spread for days AFTER the first positive test is found.
99 Captain Judge
Just wanted to say “a big thank you to Mr.Met for being a real jinx” I hope you feel better sir. And remember stay 6-8 feet apart from Mrs. Met. (social distancing)
Technically correct
They live together, right? It should be ok.
whynot 2
That’s just how he rolls in his household. Can’t have the pesky wife and kids get too close, haha
mrmet17
What did I do?!
Technically correct
As a happily paying subscriber for a number of years, I highly recommend everyone just purchase the MLB.TV subscription. Sure it sucks when your favorite team is blacked out (how is this still a thing???) or if the game you want to watch is postponed, but you still have access to all the other games. That’s ultimately what we want. Some entertainment while keeping as many people safe as possible.
In fact, hey MLB, you already gave us a discount but maybe just make it free for the rest of the year as a gesture of goodwill. The people who are angry will continue to be angry, but those of us who just want to watch some baseball will be fine.
realsox
Spoken like a fan who loves baseball. I’m grateful for MLB’s cancellation of a few games periodically as test results warrant. That allows the season to go forward with plenty of baseball to watch and enjoy.
Ancient Pistol
This one is probably not that big of a deal in the larger schedule since both teams are only about six miles apart. It’s about a 30 minute ride through the boroughs. It may even be quicker now to get through Manhattan since everyone’s moved away.
whyhayzee
They’re afraid that six more yankees will pull something getting off the bus?
AngelDiceClay
Sleepy Joe will blame The POTUS for this
.
Orel Saxhiser
Halo, do you know who Harry Truman is? If the buck doesn’t stop with the POTUS, then who does it stop with?
pinstripes17
you aren’t very smart
mvpetro
Seems like a break for the yanks with all their injuries
liljoe12
Wait a minute…someone within the Mets organization tested positive for covid?? Was it a coach? Equipment manager? A valet parker s wife? Everybody panic! So brave….
pinterman
Yanks should spend the weekend thinking of anything but baseball.
robluca21
I cant believe how many doctors post in the mlbtr comment section. We are lucky !
AgeeHarrelsonJones
I cant believe how many fools post in the mlbtr comments secrion. How unfortunate!
brucenewton
Manfred doesn’t want his yanks playing with the current roster. At least give them a few days off to get some guys back. It’s not fair for them to have to play at this time. Quarter billion payroll only goes so far for them.
Tom1968
will mets be the home team for the 2 games?