Friday’s game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies has been postponed after a Blue Jays staffer tested positive for COVID-19, the Phillies said on Wednesday.
The Phillies noted that a staffer in the visiting clubhouse tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday. The delay of the game reportedly will allow both teams to pass through the incubation period for more tests to be performed ahead of the game on Saturday, ESPN reported.
The game will now be played as part of a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 3 PM. Sunday’s game will remain at the originally scheduled start time of 3 PM.
Wednesday’s game was to be the Blue Jays’ first “home game” but was scheduled to be played on the road because its temporary home is not quite ready for the team. Because of the coronavirus, the Canada-based Jays made a deal to play its 2020 schedule in the U.S., instead of Toronto. The team will play at Sahlen Field, the stadium used by the Buffalo Bisons, a Minor League team in Buffalo, New York.
The Phillies have also rearranged their schedule. They were going to host the Yankees on Monday and Tuesday and then visit New York on Wednesday and Thursday. But now the Yankees will head to Baltimore for a series against the Orioles on Wednesday, instead.
The virus is disrupting other MLB teams, too. Two days ago, the Miami Marlins canceled its season opener when half the team’s roster tested positive for the virus.
On Monday, the team noted that 12 members of the team had tested positive.
The Marlins' home opener against the Baltimore Orioles tonight has been canceled, sources tell ESPN, as the team remains in Philadelphia and continues to undergo testing.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 27, 2020
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