Marlins-Mets series finale postponed after two Mets test positive for COVID-19
The Miami Marlins’ series finale Thursday against the New York Mets, the final game of a seven-game homestand at Marlins Park, has been postponed after two members of the Mets organization (one player and one staff member) tested positive for COVID-19.
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman first reported the postponement, and Newsday’s Tim Healey was first to report the number of positive cases.
The two Mets members who tested positive and anyone deemed to have been in close contact with the two are staying in Miami while the rest of the team flies back to New York. The Mets’ game on Friday against the New York Yankees has also been postponed.
The Marlins, meanwhile, are sticking to their schedule and flying to Washington D.C. for their four-day, five-game series that starts Friday and beings a week-long road trip. The Marlins are scheduled to finish that road trip with their final three games of the season against the Mets at Citi Field.
MLB has not announced how or if the game will be made up, but a doubleheader one of those three days would be the most likely route.
Should that happen, the Marlins will play six doubleheaders over their final 42 games, including two on this upcoming road trip. Miami also only has two off days the rest of the season, Aug. 31 and Sept. 3. They close the season with 27 games in 23 days, including four doubleheaders in a 10-day stretch.
This marks the 11th Marlins game this season that has been postponed and will have to be rescheduled due to positive tests regarding the novel coronavirus. The Marlins had 18 players and two coaches test positive for COVID-19 after their season-opening road series against the Philadelphia Phillies that resulted in the Marlins being quarantined for a week. Miami’s four games against the Baltimore Orioles (two home, two on the road) were delayed a week and all played in Baltimore. Two more home series — three-game sets against the Phillies and Washington Nationals — were also postponed and are being made up over the final six weeks of the season.
Throughout MLB, 16 teams have now had at least one game postponed or rescheduled due to COVID-19 concerns.
Homestand recap
The postponement puts a whimpering end to the Marlins’ first homestand of the season. Miami went 1-5 in their first six games at Marlins Park, winning their series opener against the Atlanta Braves and then losing the next five games (two against the Braves, three against the Mets) before Thursday’s postponed finale.
Miami was outscored 30-11 in the five losses.
Despite the current losing streak, the Marlins are still 9-9 overall and sitting in second place in the National League East heading into their next road trip.
That’s with the team playing without three of its starting pitchers, eight members from its original bullpen and four of its primary position players. Shortstop Miguel Rojas on Thursday became the first of the 18 players who tested positive to be cleared to return to the active roster.
“We lost five straight, so we’re not really happy with how we’re playing right now,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “... If you’re going to make me go to the wider picture, I also know the reality of how much baseball has to be played and where we’re at right now. We’re right in the middle of it. Obviously in a good spot, but we need to play better.”
This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 5:23 PM.
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