2 Phillies Staff Test Positive For COVID-19, Forcing More MLB Game Cancellations

MLB’s hopes to press ahead with its season following the Marlins outbreak may have just been dashed. As it turns out, the Marlins apparently spread the virus to at least two Phillies personnel, the team admitted Thursday. The infections were detected during Thursday’s round of tests, but both a coach and a staff member who were found to be infected had been tested Wednesday, and passed. Neither were experiencing symptoms as of Thursday.

The two cases forced the team to cancel all activity at Citizens Bank Park “until further notice,” which will likely lead to more game cancellations for the league.

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— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 30, 2020

As CNBC reported earlier, the outbreak at the MLB is a blow to companies within the sports world like the TV networks and media and advertising companies that depend on the games, along with the new gaming stocks that allow speculators to gamble on the games.

In another example of how doctors can come to two completely different conclusions based on the same body of evidence, Dr. David Ho, a world renowned infectious disease doctor, told CNBC’s Meg Tirrell that the prospect of sports succeeding without a bubble “are not good” – pointing to “what we are seeing with MLB” as an example. Dr. Ho, as it turns out, is an advisor to the NBA, which is using a bubble.

Others pointed out that the MLB has had a minuscule COVID-19 positivity rate in recent weeks. MLB conducted 42,000 tests with about .03% positive, if one sets aside the Marlins’ players.

Even though no players have been found to be positive, the Phillies were not going to play until Saturday at the earliest as they awaited test results. Now, a plannbed series against the Blue Jays has been postponed, according to Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo.

The last time the team played was Sunday, when they hosted the Marlins. Since then, 17 Marlins players and 2 coaches have tested positive for the virus, and the team has had to cancel a handful of games.

A Phillies series this week that was to be played against the Yankees was postponed out of caution.

Additionally, the news sent shares of DraftKings down more than 1.5%, extending a decline triggered by the first positive tests from the Marlins, as worries about the future of the 60 game season grow.