Major League Baseball has announced the Washington Nationals are cleared to start their 2021 season Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves. The Nationals were slated to open their season against the New York Mets this past weekend. However, all three games were postponed following a COVID-19 outbreak within the Nationals.
Monday’s game against the Braves was also postponed.
A total of 11 players and two staffers of the Nationals are currently in MLB’s coronavirus protocols with four players testing positive for the coronavirus. The other seven players and two staff members have been deemed close contacts.
The Nationals had no new positives during the most recent round of tests.
The club will be permitted to resume baseball activities on Monday at Nationals Park. The team was hoping to have at least one workout before their season started. They have not since Mar. 29.
The league will make a announcement regarding the rescheduling of Monday’s game against the Braves and the postponed series against the Mets at a later time.
When the Nationals take the field Tuesday, they could be without outfielder Kyle Schwarber, pitcher Jon Lester, infielder Josh Harrison and catcher Alex Aliva. However, it does not necessarily mean the four players’ absence is related to the coronavirus, as the club has not made an announcement naming the players affected.
