Miami Marlins Temporarily Suspend Season During Coronavirus Outbreak

The Miami Marlins’ season has been temporarily suspended less than a week after Major League Baseball’s Opening Day because of a coronavirus outbreak. From Friday to Tuesday morning, 17 of the team's personnel have tested positive for COVID-19, according to reports.

Miami’s two-game series at home against the Baltimore Orioles was postponed Monday after 11 players and two coaches testing positive for the coronavirus. The team stayed in Philadelphia, where it completed its season-opening series against the Phillies on Sunday.

The suspension includes the postponement of seven games. The Marlins were set to play in Baltimore Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a three-game series at home against the Washington Nationals.

“The health and safety protocols were designed with a challenging circumstance like the one facing the Marlins in mind,” MLB said as part of its announcement. “The response outlined in the joint MLB-MLBPA Operations Manual was triggered immediately upon learning of the cluster of positive cases, including contact tracing and the quarantining and testing of all of the identified close contacts. The Marlins' personnel who tested positive remain in isolation and are receiving care.”

Prior to the league’s announcement, a majority of Nationals’ players voted against traveling to Miami for the upcoming series, according to reports.

Games scheduled between the New York Yankees and Phillies were postponed Monday and Tuesday because the Marlins had just used the visiting clubhouse at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. The Yankees will now play the Orioles in Baltimore on Wednesday and Thursday, replacing previously scheduled matchups with the Phillies in New York.

No Phillies' players or staff have tested positive for COVID-19 this week.