As Major League Baseball gradually approaches something resembling a finish line with the coronavirus, its most joyous day of the year – opening day – was waylaid by the postponement of the nationally televised Washington Nationals-New York Mets opener due to COVID-19 issues with the Nationals.
MLB relaxing COVID-19 protocols for fully vaccinated players, staff
MLB announced the postponement Thursday morning, citing “ongoing contact tracing involving members of the Nationals organization.”
The Nationals, who got through an entire spring training without a positive test for the coronavirus, were dealt a blow upon their arrival in Washington when they learned a player tested positive, resulting in four more players and a staff member isolated for the opener after contact tracing.
Still, general manager Mike Rizzo expressed confidence Thursday night’s game would go on, and summoned a handful of players from the club’s alternate training site in Fredericksburg, Va., to backfill the five roster spots.
The original positive test was taken Monday, raising the specter more positive tests resulted from testing conducted in subsequent days.
“Experience is always a good teacher,” Rizzo said Wednesday. “We went through this last opening day. It’s not the unknown anymore. We know how to test; we know what happens when someone tests positive and we react quickly and swiftly through the protocol that was established last season.”
Yet the gaggle of unavailable players was too much to field a representative roster for the opener. Almost all the Nationals flew from West Palm Beach, Fla. to Washington on Monday evening – opening-day starter Max Scherzer, for one, said he flew separately with his family – and the five players were immediately identified as close contacts.
MLB’s protocols define close contact as being within six feet of someone for a cumulative 15 minutes in a 24-hour period.
The high-profile opener – two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and three-time winner Max Scherzer were to face off, and superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor was to make his Mets debut – will be booted to another day.
ESPN, which is broadcasting the game, reported it won’t be made up on Friday’s scheduled off day, pushing the Mets-Nationals opener to at least Saturday.
It’s a sobering reminder that, after a 2020 season where the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals suffered multiplayer outbreaks before the league righted the ship, that the specter of the pandemic will linger, even as vaccinations ramp up.
Rizzo confirmed that he received his first dose of vaccine, and St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told reporters Thursday that his club had reached the 85% plateau of vaccinations among staff. That will enable the Cardinals to loosen some COVID-19 protocols, such as eating in restaurants.
The Nationals are in a different situation, their opener delayed and significant uncertainty surrounding their roster.
Contributing: Bob Nightengale
March 26: The Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (left) and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (13) walk onto the field before the start of the game against the Philadelphia Phillies during spring training at TD Ballpark.
March 24: Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi dives into second base against the Angels.
March 24: Astros shortstop Carlos Correa looks at second baseman Jose Altuve during a game against the Nationals.
March 23: Nationals first baseman Josh Bell can’t catch a foul ball against the Cardinals.
March 23: Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is congratulated by teammates after a home run against the Braves.
March 23: Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil tags out Marlins outfielder Starling Marte.
March 22: New York Mets right fielder Kevin Pillar crashes into the wall attempting to catch the fly ball hit by the Houston Astros Myles Straw at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
March 21: The Chicago Cubs’ David Bote breaks his bat as he hits the ball against the Cincinnati Reds at Sloan Park.
March 20: Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez tries to avoid a pitch against the Braves.
March 19: Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts rounds first base against the Rangers.
March 19,: Mets first baseman Pete Alonso watches a high fly ball off his bat against the Cardinals.
March 17: The Philadelphia Phillies’ Darick Hall reaches second base against the Detroit Tigers in the sixth inning at BayCare Ballpark.
March 16: Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor avoids an inside pitch against the Astros.
March 16: Yankees first baseman Luke Voit catches a fly ball against the Tigers.
March 14: Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez makes a play for an out against the Los Angeles Angels at Sloan Park.
March 13: The New York Yankees’ Brett Gardner gets to first base as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ JT Brubaker (34) and Phillip Evans (24) attempt to catch the ball in the second inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
March 12: Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar makes a diving catch against the Marlins.
March 12: Indians shortstop Andres Gimenez catches a pop up against the Dodgers.
March 11: Angels DH Shohei Ohtani dives back to first base against the Giants.
March 11: Rockies outfielder Raimel Tapia catches a fly ball against the Cubs.
March 11: Luke Voit and Aaron Hicks celebrate Hicks’ homer against the Phillies.
March 11: Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk slides trying to make a catch against the Tigers.
March 10: Astros pitcher Steve Cishek delivers against teh Marlins.
March 10: The hat of Cleveland Indians pitcher Triston McKenzie falls over his face as he pitches against the Los Angeles Angels at Goodyear Ballpark.
March 10: Orioles infielder Jahmai Jones dives for a ground ball against the Blue Jays.
March 10: Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier catches a fly ball against the Twins.
March 9: The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Josh Rojas (10) is tagged out by Colorado Rockies first baseman Josh Fuentes in the third inning at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
March 9: New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier lays on the ground after attempting to make a catch against the wall in the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
March 8: Texas Rangers center fielder Leody Taveras makes a catch against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning of a spring training game at Sloan Park.
March 7: Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte reacts to a fly ball while geese stand on the field during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
March 7: Seattle Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis robs the home run of the Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
March 7: The Toronto Blue Jays’ Marcus Semien is hit in the head by the pitch of Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jose Urena at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
March 6: Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Nick Maton attempts to pick off the Toronto Blue Jays’ Otto Ariel Lopez at TD Ballpark.
March 5: The sun sets during the second inning of a spring training game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
March 5: Cubs shortstop Javier Baez tosses his bat as he runs to first against Cleveland.
March 5: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. dives to catch a fly ball against the Orioles.
March 5: Royals catcher Salvador Perez throws to first against the Dodgers.
March 4: St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez delivers a pitch to Houston Astros designated hitter Michael Brantley at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
March 4: The Washington Nationals’ Victor Robles holds on to New York Mets infielder Jeff McNeil to try and stay on the bag after stealing second base in the fifth inning of a spring training game at Clover Park.
March 4: Young fans watch Los Angeles Dodgers players warm up before the spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch Glendale.
March 3: Rays infielder Wander Franco hits a home run against the Pirates.
March 3: Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado dives back to first base against the Mets.
March 3: Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez hits a two-run double against the Twins.
March 3: Marlins player celebrate Adam Duvall’s home run against the Nationals.
March 2: The San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. hits a 441-foot grand slam against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning during a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
March 2: Boston Red Sox shortstop Jonathan Arauz gets the force out of the Tampa Bay Rays’ Willy Adames while turning a double play in the first inning of the spring training game at JetBlue Park at Fenway South.
March 1: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer throws against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch.
March 1: Miami Marlins pinch-runner Nasim Nunez is called out at first base against the New York Mets in the fifth inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
March 1: Minnesota Twins infielder Luis Arraez (2) and Minnesota Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach (24) chase down a fly ball against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning during spring training at Charlotte Sports Park.
Feb. 28: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Matt Beaty (45) gets tagged out by Oakland Athletics catcher Austin Allen attempting to score in the third inning at Hohokam Stadium.
Feb. 28: Detailed view of a sign suggesting social distancing in the crowd at Camelback Ranch during the Milwaukee Brewers-Chicago White Sox spring training game.
Feb. 27: White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada takes part in infield drills.
Feb. 27: Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani during workouts.
Feb. 26: Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.
Feb. 26: Rockies shortstop Trevor Story during drills.
Feb. 26: Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts catches a ball between his legs.
Feb. 26: Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer records himself as he walks to the field.
Feb. 25: Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas throws in the bullpem.
Feb. 24: Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier.
Feb. 24: A Mets coach dumps balls into a basket.
Feb. 24: A view of palm trees at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
Feb. 24: White Sox outfielder Luis Robert during a workout.
Feb. 23: Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner and first baseman Anthony Rizzo field grounders.
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