Miami Marlins: Positive tests harbinger of what is to come?

The Miami Marlins had multiple players test positive for COVID-19 prior to their game against the Phillies on Sunday.

Perhaps that greatest nightmare for Major League Baseball would involve having the season come to a screeching halt due to the ongoing pandemic. After acrimonious discussions involving payment and service time, the season finally began with a condensed 60 game schedule and expanded playoffs. In theory, everything was set to proceed as smoothly as possible.

But there was always a concern that something could go drastically wrong. Those concerns have come to the forefront through the Miami Marlins, who had multiple players test positive, including three in the hours before their game on Sunday.

Those tests forced starting pitcher Jose Urena to be sidelined, although he reportedly feels fine and is asymptomatic. Garrett Cooper and Harold Ramirez also tested positive, costing the Marlins their designated hitter and right fielder respectively. Jorge Alfaro had already been on the Injured List for an undisclosed reason since Friday, so it is possible that he could have tested positive as well.

Those positive tests bring up an interesting side issue. Since they all occurred on the road, Cooper, Ramirez, and Urena must remain in quarantine in their hotel rooms in Philadelphia for the next two weeks.

Even ignoring the baseball side for the Marlins, and the considerable loss to their roster, these positive tests bring about a question – how many players will have to test positive on a team before the league says that this is enough? The Marlins have at least three players that are currently positive for COVID-19, leading to the question of how many active players will need to test positive before MLB takes action.

One also has to wonder what this means for the rest of the team, and the Phillies as well. Cooper and Ramirez had each played in the first two games of the series, putting them in close proximity to those other players. This is a situation that the league will need to keep a close eye on.

In the interim, this is a major loss for the Marlins. Urena, for his inconsistency, had established himself as one of the team’s best starters. Ramirez had a solid season for the Marlins last year, a former top prospect who went from a minor league free agent to a role in the starting lineup. Cooper was fourth on the Marlins in homers last season. Any hopes the Marlins had in the shortened season have taken a major hit.

The Miami Marlins have suffered a major blow to their roster due to positive COVID-19 tests. One has to wonder if this is a sign of things to come for Major League Baseball.