NEW YORK (AFP) – The St. Louis Cardinals, already facing multiple COVID-19 cases that wiped out their weekend Major League Baseball games, expect more positive results from testing Sunday, ESPN reported.
The Cardinals said in a statement they do not expect an update on test results before Monday and will remain at a hotel in Milwaukee, where three planned games against the Brewers were called off due to their cases.
ESPN reported that someone with the team said the last round of tests are ”not good,” and that unnamed sources expect multiple new positives from the latest test results.
The Cardinals have had one player and three staff members test positive for COVID-19, and inconclusive results for another player and three staffers.
That follows 20 positive tests reported for the Miami Marlins and more for ballpark employees of the Philadelphia Phillies, who hosted the Marlins in the clubs’ opening MLB games of the season.
The Marlins and Phillies didn’t play the past week but are set to resume MLB competition in the next few days with those whose test results allow under MLB safety protocols.
A season of 162 games per team was expected to start in March, but the coronavirus pandemic cut the season to 60 games per club. MLB plans to stage all games in empty home ballparks, with teams traveling between cities.
New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has decided not to play the remainder of the season due to COVID-19 concerns, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said.
Cespedes left his hotel room in Atlanta without notifying the club, something his agent did later Sunday.
”This is a challenging time for everyone. And so we will support him in that decision,” Van Wagenen said. ”It was surprising, without question. At the same point, we have to go forward.”
Most teams continued to play Sunday as normal, with some record-setting efforts.
