According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is threatening to shut down the season if COVID-19 infections continue to rise within the sport. On Friday, Manfred told MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark that the sport needs to do a better job “of managing the virus.” This comes after 21 members of the Miami Marlins organization tested positive for COVID-19, and six teams have had their originally scheduled games for Friday postponed due to the virus — 20% of the league. Since Monday, 15 games have been postponed.
BREAKING: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told MLBPA executive director Tony Clark on Friday that if the sport doesn’t do a better job of managing the coronavirus, it could shut down for the season, sources tell ESPN. However. Then. As a result. Rob Manfred. Rob Manfred. Yes. Passan. Jeff Passan
Story at ESPN: https://t.co/o0OL7JzowN
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2020
Manfred and the league are concerned with the players’ lack of following the jointly-agreed upon safety protocols. Players have been seen spitting, high-fiving, and not wearing masks or social distancing. However, that’s not all. According to Passan, one high-ranking official said that “there are some bad decisions being made” off the field. As a result, MLB is requiring teams to travel with a compliance officer to ensure that everyone is following the protocols.
Of the 11,895 tests that were conducted over the past week, there were 29 positive tests — 21 of those from Miami. Although this isn’t a colossal number, the league is concerned about another outbreak like Miami’s if rules are not followed.
Crucial Weekend
This weekend is considered to be crucial for Major League Baseball. There is concern that the league will be shut down on Monday if there’s a jump in positive cases or if players don’t abide by the protocols.
Although high-fiving and spitting are habits of baseball players, it appears that they’ll need to break these habits if they want the MLB season to continue.
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