WASHINGTON – The Nationals and Atlanta Braves were waiting from Sunday afternoon to find out if Major League Baseball will continue their upcoming series as planned, while Washington faces a coronavirus outbreak that could prevent 11 players from participating. .
Four Nationals players have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week and are isolating, while a total of seven are now in quarantine because contact tracking determined they may have been exposed to the disease.
General manager Mike Rizzo said none of those eleven – most, though not all, of whom would be on the opening day roster – would be available when the three-game set with Atlanta kicks off Monday. Rizzo has not publicly identified any of the players involved or the two staff members who have also been quarantined for potential exposure.
Washington has yet to play a game this season; the opening series of three games against the New York Mets on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday was postponed.
Believe me, we are in constant contact with MLB. Once a decision has been made, they will let us know. They have been through this before. They know exactly what to do and when we have to do this in preparation for a game on Monday, ”Rizzo said on Sunday in a video call with reporters.
“We are preparing – and preparing – to play on Monday,” he said.
Team practice has not been allowed since the outbreak began, which Rizzo said should happen before Washington faces an opponent, but pitchers could head to Nationals Park one at a time on Saturday and Sunday to throw bullpen sessions.
“Positioning players haven’t worked out for a week. And pitchers haven’t thrown a single competitive field in that same period. It’s something that we take very seriously here. We think about creative ways according to protocol and under guidance to help these guys as best we can. to prepare, ”said Rizzo.
“It makes a lot of sense for baseball, in terms of player protection, to let these guys do their thing in full practice before we hit the field,” he added.
The reigning NL East champion Braves is 0-3 and comes out of a season-opening sweep in which they managed to score a total of three points at the Philadelphia Phillies.
And while Atlanta wasn’t sure, Braves catcher Travis D’Arnaud said from 24 hours before Monday’s scheduled first pitch in Washington when the next game would be: “I know we should be ready to play. to be ready to play than to be surprised. “
Braves manager Brian Snitker said he assumed his club would play Monday until he hears otherwise.
“This is the COVID era. Everything is fluid,” said Snitker. ‘When I get a call at 10 a.m. tomorrow [postponing the game], it will not surprise me. I don’t expect it, but it can happen. “
Rizzo said all of his team’s coronavirus tests have continued to come out negative, except for the four players who are in isolation.
And he said those four “feel much, much better,” adding that any symptoms that appeared before have disappeared.
Now it’s up to 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 here and now,” Rizzo said. ‘So I think a lot of it is taken into account when we talk [about] the next few days. “