The Washington Nationals have two additional players test positive for COVID-19, general manager Mike Rizzo announced Thursday, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports.
Wednesday, the club announced one player had tested positive for the coronavirus. The two additional positives were already in quarantine for close contact. A fourth player is “likely positive” but requires more testing, Rizzo added.
All four affected players are under MLB coronavirus protocols. However, the rest of the team is under a “Mike Rizzo mandated quarantine,” the GM stated.
The Nationals were set to open their 2021 season against the New York Mets Thursday. However, Major League Baseball postponed the game. The game won’t be made up Friday, as the start of the Nationals’ season has been delayed.
Rizzo maintains he has the “utmost confidence” the first player who tested positive did not break protocols. He added one player has had a fever while the others are asymptomatic to this point.
The Mets, who all have tested negative, are permitted to use Nationals Park in the meantime. The Nationals players are only being tested at the ballpark and then leaving. The hope is the ballpark will be available for the Nationals to work out in small groups and shifts.
