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The Miami Marlins have become the first MLB team to have an outbreak of the coronavirus since regular-season play began.
After a 2-1 start to the season, the Marlins have reportedly had 13 people test positive for coronavirus.
Updating the Miami Marlins’ outbreak: The total number of infected players is 11 of the 33 who have been traveling with the team and two coaches, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 27, 2020
The Marlins-Orioles and Yankees-Phillies games tonight have been postponed. For now, the rest may be played.
As a result, the Marlins postponed their home opener, scheduled for Monday night vs. the Baltimore Orioles.
Monday’s game between the New York Yankees and the Phillies in Philadelphia — where the Marlins played over the weekend — also was postponed.
On its own, this may not look like it has many implications for Kentucky. Well, it certainly will because the style of the MLB and NCAA football will be similar. Neither are really capable of putting on a bubble-like format that the MLS and NBA have seen success with.
That said, Miami may not cancel their season, but if MLB can’t go a week without major outbreaks, it may cause the rest of the league to be on edge. This is a developing issue as just a few games have been suspended.
With the CDC recommendation of 14 days of quarantine for asymptomatic people with the virus, the Marlins could be out of play for the next week or two. Many teams have reported at least one player that’s been infected, and it’s unlikely this will stop here.
The MLB has tried to limit infection among those that don’t even know they carry the virus. After all, they are holding games without fans and have banned high-fives and really any contact among players.
What goes on outside of baseball-playing hours may also be an issue. The regulations that’ll be on these players in order to get safely get these games in certainly isn’t ideal, and the cracks are already starting to show.
It’s sad, but for now, this will be a new reality — one that will certainly at least impact college football, a sport still set to start in less than two months.