WASHINGTON – The Nationals and the Atlanta Braves were still waiting on Sunday afternoon to find out whether Major League Baseball will allow their next series to proceed as scheduled, while Washington is dealing with a coronavirus outbreak that could prevent 11 players from participating.
Four Nationals players tested positive for COVID-19 last week and are isolating themselves, while a total of seven others are now quarantined because contact screening has determined that they may have been exposed to the disease.
General manager Mike Rizzo said none of the 11 – most, although not all, should be on the opening day list – would be available if the three-game set with Atlanta starts on Monday. Rizzo did not publicly identify any of the players involved or the two team members who were also quarantined due to possible exposure.
Washington hasn’t played a game yet this season; his series of three opening games against the New York Mets on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday has been postponed.
“Believe me, we are in constant contact with the MLB. As soon as a decision is made, they will let us know. They have been through this before. They know exactly what they have to do and when we, when we have to do it to prepare for a game on Monday, “Rizzo said in a video call with reporters on Sunday.
“We are getting ready – and we are getting ready – to play Monday,” he said.
Team training has not been allowed since the start of the outbreak, something Rizzo says should happen before Washington faces an opponent, but the pitchers were able to go to Nationals Park one by one on Saturday and Sunday to do bullpen sessions.
“The position players have not worked for a week. And the pitchers have not launched any competitive field in the same period. It is something that we are taking very seriously here. We are thinking of creative ways according to the protocol and under the guidance of leaving these guys as ready as possible, “said Rizzo.
“It makes a lot of sense for baseball, in terms of protecting the player, that these guys do a full training before we go on the field,” he added.
Defending NL East champion Braves is 0-3 coming out of an opening sweep of the season in which he managed to score a total of three races at the Philadelphia Phillies.
And although Atlanta didn’t know for sure, 24 hours before the first pitch scheduled for Monday in Washington, when it would be the next game, Braves catcher Travis D’Arnaud said, “I know we have to be ready to play . It is better to be ready to play than to be surprised. “
Braves coach Brian Snitker said he would assume his club would play on Monday until he heard otherwise.
“This is the COVID era. Everything is fluid,” said Snitker. “If I get a call tomorrow at 10 am [postponing the game], it will not surprise me. I’m not waiting, but it can happen. “
Rizzo said that all of his team’s coronavirus tests continued to be negative, except for the four players who are isolated.
And he said the four are “feeling much, much better”, adding that all of the symptoms that appeared earlier have subsided.
Now it’s up to the MLB to find out when the nationals can start their season.
“We want to do everything we can to nip this thing in the bud right here, right now,” said Rizzo. “I think this is being taken into account when we are talking [about] in the next days. “