New York Mets-Washington Nationals series postponed to Get more COVID testing, contact tracing

The season-opening series between the Washington Nationals and New York Mets was postponed Friday since the fallout in the COVID-19 outbreak one of the Nationals throw into question when Washington’s year would start.

At least three Nationals players have tested positive, and also the team suspects another player with an inconclusive result is positive as well, leading to the postponement of their scheduled Opening Day match Thursday. Games on Saturday and Sunday were postponed as well and will be made up throughout the rest of the year, as the teams have been scheduled to play 19 games from each other as National League East rivals.

The Mets will begin their season Monday in Philadelphia. When Washington plays will depend on the outcomes of contact tracing the group has undertaken in the aftermath of the outbreak.

Nationals staff and players have remained isolated lately, and the team expected that its series starting Monday against the Atlanta Braves wouldn’t be imperiled too.

“For the most part, the entire team was — we put them — in lockdown and they are self-quarantining,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo stated in a videoconference with colleagues Thursday.

Rizzo stated among those players testing positive had a fever, although others weren’t displaying COVID-19 symptoms.

The jointly negotiated protocol between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association mandates a weeklong quarantine for somebody deemed in close contact with individuals who have tested positive, and people determined to have COVID-19 have to isolate for 10 or more days.

MLB and the players’ association released their weekly testing results Friday, stating three players and one team member had tested positive for COVID-19 from 14,354 conducted evaluations.

Outbreaks on St. Louis and Miami last year disrupted the teams but ultimately didn’t derail themas both made the postseason. The Nationals, who have playoff aspirations, will begin their season short-handed, as individuals who have tested positive will be set on the COVID-19 injury list.