Saturday’s game between the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels is postponed after a Twins player tested positive for COVID-19, the latest COVID scare in the 2021 MLB season.
Minnesota and Los Angeles were set to hold the second of a three-game series, with first pitch scheduled for 9:07 PM EST. But the results from daily COVID-19 testing threw everything into flux.
An hour before the first pitch, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that at least one unidentified Twins player received a positive COVID-19 test result. In response, MLB announced it would postpone Saturday’s game to “allow for continued testing and contact tracing involving multiple members of the Twins organization.”
Following a COVID-shortened 2020 season, MLB created new protocols for the 2021 season. The league encouraged but didn’t require players to get the vaccine as soon as possible. It also incentivized all of its employees to get vaccinated, creating softer protocols for any club that has at least 85% of its players vaccinated.
The Washington Nationals experienced the first coronavirus outbreak of the 2021 season. The team’s opener against the New York Mets was postponed due to COVID issues. Washington was forced to postpone the first four games of its season and just recently activated the three players from the COVID-19 list.
On Wednesday, the Houston Astros placed five players on the injured list due to safety protocols. The team’s potential COVID outbreak will sideline stars Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Yordan Álvarez through April 20.
Sunday’s matchup between the Twins and Angels is also postponed.
As the Twins conduct further testing, they will likely also review their own protocols and safety measures. Manager Rocco Baldelli received a false positive result Thursday. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons landed on the COVID-19 injured list on Wednesday.