Marlins games postponed through Sunday

MIAMI -- Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that all Marlins games through Sunday have been postponed, with the hope the club can resume play early next week.

The Marlins had been scheduled to play on Tuesday against the Orioles at Marlins Park, and on Wednesday and Thursday at Baltimore before hosting a weekend series with the Nationals. The earliest the Marlins could be back in game action would be Tuesday, Aug. 4, against the Phillies in Miami.

“Given the current circumstances,” read a statement from the league, “MLB believes that it is most prudent to allow the Marlins time to focus on providing care for their players and planning their Baseball Operations for a resumption early next week.”

Miami took two of three from the Phillies over Opening Day weekend.

MLB has also postponed this week’s home-and-home series between the Phillies and the Yankees. Instead, the Yankees will play the Orioles on Wednesday and Thursday, “in order to create more scheduling flexibility later in the season,” per the statement.

The Marlins have been in Philadelphia since Thursday of last week, and on Tuesday all players and staff underwent additional COVID-19 testing.

“The health and safety protocols were designed with a challenging circumstance like the one facing the Marlins in mind,” the statement read. “The response outlined in the joint MLB-MLBPA Operations Manual was triggered immediately upon learning of the cluster of positive cases, including contact tracing and the quarantining and testing of all of the identified close contacts. The Marlins’ personnel who tested positive remain in isolation and are receiving care.”

Marlins chief executive officer Derek Jeter released a statement on Tuesday:

"We continue to take this entire situation very seriously. All of our players, coaches and staff are, understandably, having a difficult time enduring this experience. After receiving additional test results on our Major League team this morning, we reached out to the Commissioner’s Office with concern for the health and safety of our team as well as our opponents.

"We have moved to a daily testing schedule while we isolate and quarantine appropriately, along with enacting additional preventive procedures with our traveling party. We look forward to safely returning to Miami where we conducted a successful and healthy Spring 2.0 before departing on the road and experiencing challenges. For the time being, we will remain in Philadelphia and gather information in order to make informed decisions and prepare for our return to action next week."