Just when you thought it was safe to be in a crowd, COVID-19 has reared its ugly head again, this time leading to the postponement of the opener of a four-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox. The rest of the series at this point is still up in the air.
According to multiple reports, three Yankees have tested positive. Those players according to ESPN are Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta.
Aaron Judge, Kyle Higashioka and Gio Urshela are under COVID-19 protocols as tests are awaiting those three.
GM Brian Cashman says that the three players who did test positive got the virus despite being vaccinated.
"We'll wait now for the lab tests to come back, which I am assuming is going to be positive, as well," Cashman said. If that is the case it would increase the number of positive cases to six.
Judge was at the All Star Game this week, so now the entire sport sits on the edge of its collective seat to see what his test reveals. The Red Sox have already asked its All Stars to undergo testing.
The revelation is a frightening one. While Cashman said the players infected were vaccinated and should be ok, it shows that nothing is foolproof. And still there are a large number players, as well as citizens in this country who are still not vaccinated; a sad revelation as the DELTA variant and DELTA Plus variant are causing cases to climb once again. About 23 of the 30 clubs have reached a vaccination rate of 85 percent.
According to ESPN, the Red Sox are not one of those 23 teams.
What will happen to the rest of this series? Will it be played on schedule? Will it be pushed back? That is a huge question. MLB had to move a total of 45 games last year during the height of the pandemic. Considering this latest outbreak, and considering teams are allowing fans, both vaccinated and un-vaccinated, into their ballparks this year -- one has to wonder how long before restrictions return.
This is a question that not only MLB has to answer, but local, state and federal leaders as well.
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