After at least 11 Miami Marlins players tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, MLB commissioner Bob Manfred said the problem is under control.
"We built protocols anticipating that we would have positive tests at some point during the season," Manfred said Monday in an interview on MLB Network that was reported on by ESPN. "The protocols were built to allow us to play through those positives. We believe the protocols are adequate to keep our players safe."
The Marlins have at least the 11 players in 14-day quarantine in Philadelphia. Meanwhile the team’s first two home games have been postponed. The Marlins were retested on Monday and those results will determine who heads back to Miami for the Wednesday game against Baltimore.
"I don't put this in the nightmare category," Manfred said. "It's not a positive thing, but I don't see it as a nightmare. ... That's why we have the expanded rosters. That's why we have the pool of additional players."
The league is no looking into the origins of the outbreak.
Manfred addressed what it would take to shut down the league.
"A team losing a number of players, making it completely noncompetitive, would be something we would have to address and have to think about making a change," Manfred said. "Our first concern is the health of the players and their families. And making sure we do everything possible to minimize the spread of the virus to our employees."
