The weekend series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers has been postponed after one player and multiple members of the Cardinals staff tested positive for COVID-19.
According to ESPN and multiple reports, three staff members tested positive for COVID-19 on the rapid tests. The team expects the complete results of saliva testing later Saturday, MLB said.
In addition to Saturday's game, both games of Sunday's doubleheader between the teams have also been postponed, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred had told MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark on Friday that if the sport doesn't do a better job of managing the coronavirus, it could shut down for the season, sources familiar with the conversation told ESPN's Jeff Passan. In text conversations with teammates Friday, MLBPA player representatives also warned about the threat to the season, according to Passan.
However, on Saturday, Manfred said he remains confident the 2020 season can continue, telling ESPN's Karl Ravech "there is no reason to quit now."
Friday's series opener was postponed after two Cardinals players tested positive for the coronavirus. Sunday's doubleheader was to be the first set of seven-inning games under an agreement announced by Major League Baseball on Friday, but that, too, has been postponed.
After learning of the first two positive cases Thursday night, the Cardinals said that they instructed all players and staff to self-isolate in their hotel rooms in Milwaukee until further notice.
The Cardinals' positives represented the first positive tests for baseball outside of the East Coast since the regular season started last week.