Highlighting the risks involved in restarting live sports, Monday’s home opener for the Miami Marlins against the Baltimore Orioles has been postponed as Marlin players have tested positive for COVID-19, according to published reports.
Also postponed was the New York Yankees game in Philadelphia, where the Marlins played.
The Miami game was set to be broadcast by Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Fox Sports Florida.
The Marlins played Sunday in Philadelphia despite positive tests by some of the Marlins players. When more players tested positive, Monday’s game was canceled and the team stayed in its Philadelphia hotel.
That raised questions about whether tonight’s New York Yankees game in Philadelphia against the Phillies could be played because of concerns that the virus might still be active in the visiting team's facilities at the ballpark. The game was ultimately postpones so that lockers and other stadium venues could be cleaned.
Fox and ESPN, which carry baseball nationally, said that advertisers have returned to sponsor baseball games because they believed that the leagues could safely play games and complete the schedule. It was unclear what would happen to those ad dollars if MLB is forecast to cancel more games or curtail the season.
ESPN had a record 4 million viewers for its first baseball game on Thursday.
