Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred believes the health protocols the league has in place are working despite outbreaks of coronavirus on the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.
He’s calling for “vigilance” from all parties, though the league will institute some new measures in the coming days.
The commissioner said the spread of the virus throughout the Marlins and Cardinals — causing both teams to shut down for a period of time — can be traced back to lapses in the protocols. Several media reports indicated several Cardinals players were spotted at casinos and pontoon boat parties at Carlyle Lake in the days leading up to the road trip to Minnesota to play the Twins.
Manfred said the league is taking steps to ensure safety of its players, even more, while “re-emphasizing” and even tweaking its most important protocols.
- Masks: Teams will upgrade to surgical masks on planes. Previously, cloth masks were deemed usable, but some spread within the Marlins and/or Cardinals is believed to have occurred on charter flights, according to sources.
- Planes: There will be an even more aggressive stance about managing social distancing on planes and making sure people remain in their seats.
Manfred said there was discussion about testing more often, perhaps every day.
The Marlins, in particular, were a good test case regarding incubation of the virus. There were players who tested negative for several days before testing positive again. It’s why the commissioner believes the league has done the right thing with Miami and St. Louis by canceling games until several negative tests came back for the uninfected.
The Cardinals returned to St. Louis Wednesday after being isolated in their hotel in Milwaukee, and are schedule to play the Cubs Friday night at Busch Stadium.