Miami Marlins-Baltimore Orioles game postponed due to Coronavirus outbreak

The Miami Marlins will not play their first home game of the 2020 season tonight against the Baltimore Orioles because of fears of the Coronavirus.

The Miami Marlins are coming home with a 2-1 record to face the Baltimore Orioles with a cautious approach to the remainder of the 2020 MLB season. That season may now be in question as the two teams have postponed tonight’s game to the spread of the coronavirus that has spread throughout the Marlins roster.

Even before the team’s 11-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday afternoon, the team had already made news because starting pitcher Jose Urena had been scratched from his first start of the season because he had tested positive for COVID-19.

Not only was Urena pulled from the game, but outfielder Harold Ramirez and first baseman/designated hitter Garrett Cooper was scratched from the lineup for Sunday’s game as well. Unchartered territory for the Marlins and the league. The 30-man roster and taxi squad will now be of utmost importance as manager Don Mattingly uses interchanging puzzle pieces to replace players who could be placed on the I.L. until they are healthy enough to return.

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The game in Miami is not the only one being canceled tonight due to fears of the spread of the virus.

Per a story by Alyson Footer of MLB.com, “Tonight’s scheduled games between the Miami Marlins and the Baltimore Orioles at Marlins Park and the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees at Citizens Bank Park have been postponed while Major League Baseball conducts additional COVID-19 testing,” the league said in a statement. “The members of the Marlins’ traveling party are self-quarantining in place while awaiting the outcome of those results. Major League Baseball has been coordinating with the Major League Baseball Players Association; the Marlins; the Orioles; the Marlins’ weekend opponent, the Phillies; and Club medical staffs, and will continue to provide updates as appropriate.”

Robert Dugger, who was moved to the bullpen by Mattingly to start the season, took the mound in Urena’s place and had what could be described as a shaky start. He lasted  3 1/3 innings, allowing five runs (four earned). The good thing was the Miami Marlins bullpen was able to regroup, with the lineup giving the tram enough power to come through with a win.

The Yankees-Phillies game was postponed as a measure of caution since the Phillies just completed the series at home against the Marlins.

The Marlins organization is now taking the necessary steps to make sure the virus does not spread more and have an effect on the remainder of the MLB season.

“The health of our players and staff has been and will continue to be our primary focus as we navigate through these unchartered waters,” Marlins CEO Derek Jeter said in a statement. “After a successful Spring 2.0, we have now experienced challenges once we went on the road and left Miami. Postponing tonight’s home opener was the correct decision to ensure we take a collective pause and try to properly grasp the totality of this situation. We have conducted another round of testing for our players and staff, and our team will all remain in Philadelphia pending the results of those tests, which we expect later today. We will provide additional information as soon as it becomes available.”

The Marlins did not return home on Sunday following the game in Philadelphia as the team was tested again for the virus before it returned to Miami on Monday.

According to Bleacher Report, there is no serious discussion about stopping the 2020 season.

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