Cancelled games in one league. Good news in another. Yet another has its season in jeopardy. COVID-19 has impacted everyone since the pandemic began, and on Monday, it dominated the headlines of each North American sport.
Here is what is going on in each league:
MLB
• Major League Baseball had to cancel two games Monday because of a spike in positive tests from the Marlins.
11 of the 33 players in their traveling roster tested positive for COVID-19. The Marlins knew three players tested positive before they played the Phillies on Sunday, and while those players were isolated, the rest of the team, who were in close contact with those three, decided to play the game anyway.
Since more players tested positive the following day, there are concerns that members of the Phillies could be carriers too.
The Marlins and Orioles game was cancelled, and the Orioles went back to Baltimore, meaning Tuesday's game is all but officially called off too. The Marlins are supposed to play two games in Baltimore Wednesday.
The Phillies had their game against the Yankees postponed as they try to stop the virus from spreading further.
Owners had an emergency meeting Monday, but there was not talk of cancelling the season. However, if things continue to escalate, or if it is not contained, the season could be in jeopardy.
• White Sox manager Rick Renteria, on the other hand, will not manage Monday's game out of what general manager Rick Hahn called "an abundance of caution." Renteria woke up with a slight cough and nasal congestion. He underwent some precautionary testing at a Cleveland hospital and will stay in his hotel until he is cleared.
From White Sox re manager Rick Renteria: pic.twitter.com/hYtU05Oljp
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) July 27, 2020
• Before the game Monday, Derek Shelton was asked about the rise in cases and the Marlins situation.
“I think what it boils down to is that we have to follow the protocols and we have to continue to follow the protocols and we have to continue to educate ourselves," Shelton said. "I think we all knew at some point there was going to be some sort of positive testing with the group. I think we continue to evaluate and find information out. Most importantly, just continue to make sure that we’re abiding by everything they’ve put in place. There’s so many different factors of when we travel and how things go, and we have to be aware and we have to continue to learn what’s going on.”
Derek Holland had this to offer as well: "If we're doing what we're supposed to be doing, I don't think we have to worry. I'm not going to worry about the other teams; I’m going to worry about Pittsburgh."
NFL
• The Steelers placed defensive back Arrion Springs on the Reserve/COVID list. The Reserve/COVID list is for players who either test positive or come into close contact with someone who has tested positive and is currently quarantining.
• The Vikings announced that head athletic trainer and the team's Infection Control Officer Eric Sugarman, along with members of his family tested positive for coronavirus. Additionally, the Vikings placed three players on the Reserve/COVID list.
NHL
• The National Hockey League provided some rare encouraging news on the coronavirus front, reporting that it had zero positive results from the 4,256 tests administered during the final week of training camps in teams’ home cities before they traveled to the hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton.
More than 800 players were tested July 18-25. The league reported two positive results earlier in the camps, which means it had that pair of positive results after doing a total of 6,874 tests during Phase 3 of its Return to Play protocol.
• The Bruins held Zdeno Chara out of practice after there was a delay in receiving Sunday's test results.
NCAA
• The Big Ten and Pac-12 already announced conference-only schedules for football and other fall sports, and officials in the Big 12 and SEC remain hopeful about playing a full schedule. The ACC, meanwhile, is examining several options, including geographic pods and adding Notre Dame, and expects to finalize a plan Wednesday. Each plan could be different, and it could still work under the Power 5 umbrella, according to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby. He told ESPN, "They can't be incompatible, but they don't have to be identical."
• The NCAA Division I Coordination Committee granted a waiver that permits fall sports except football to play 50 percent fewer games and still meet minimum requirements. It applies to cross country, soccer, field hockey, water polo and volleyball.
• The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, which does not compete in football, has canceled fall sports competition. The conference will determine if fall sports would be feasible in the spring at a later date.
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