Miami Marlins Season ‘Paused’; Schedule Changes for Phillies, Yankees, Orioles

At this point, 15 players on the Miami Marlins and two members of their coaching staff have tested positive for Covid-19. Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal reported that their next opponents, the Washington Nationals, collectively voted against heading to Miami to play them. Now comes the news, first reported by Marlins podcaster Craig Mish and confirmed by USA Today baseball reporter Bob Nightengale, that the team’s season is “paused,” probably for at least a week:

The Miami #Marlins' season has been officially paused, as @CraigMish reported, with the team in quarantine with 19 positive test results. They likely won't be playing again for another week.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 28, 2020

The Marlins were originally scheduled to play:

• Orioles (7/27-30)
• Nationals (7/31-8/2)
• Phillies (8/4-8/6)

Add it all up and it’s unlikely everyone will be playing 60 games this year. Chatter on baseball Twitter is that they could wind up doing what they did in the strike-shortened season in 1981, and determining playoff berths by winning percentages.

Meanwhile, the Yankees, who were supposed to play the Phillies this week (the Phillies are the most recent team to face the Marlins) spent the day making contingency plans about who and where they’re going to play TOMORROW:

One scenario under discussion, according to source with direct knowledge: Marlins, Phillies would quarantine for undetermined period. Yankees would travel to Baltimore and play Orioles on Wednesday and Thursday. Marlins, Phillies would try to make up postponed games later.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2020

And now this is confirmed happening:

Confirming various reports of this ever-changing schedule… Marlins now off until Monday, Phillies off until Friday, Yankees will play at Orioles Wednesday and Thursday.

— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) July 28, 2020

Baseball season is likely to be bananas for the foreseeable future.