Cardinals-Pirates series cancelled presumably due to Cards’ positive COVID-19 test results

While MLB has been pretty fortunate in terms of the impact of COVID-19 overall during the ongoing 2020 season, we have still seen the pandemic wreak some havoc on the schedule and the full effects of that are very much to be determined. The Marlins had to postpone several games which means, down the stretch, they are going to have a lot of doubleheaders to slog through and that is assuming nothing else goes wrong for them.

The Cardinals are in an even worse position. The outbreak on their team has dragged on for so long now that with just five games played, they are simply running out of days left in the season versus the number of games they have left to play and make up.

Today’s news certainly didn’t make that any easier.

We don’t know all of the details yet, but with St. Louis continuing to add positive test results off their roster, the odds are becoming slim that the Cardinals are going to be able to play 60 games and the feasibility of them getting started and warmed up again is an open question. We have already seen some evidence that guys are getting hurt because they haven’t been properly stretched out and worked out, the effects on the Cards could be compounded.

Moreover, this highlights just how important it is for players and clubs to take ownership of adhering to the health protocols in place. While we don’t know for sure how the Cardinals players got sick, we do know that they were exposed somehow and it has adversely impacted not just their season...but the seasons of a bunch of other clubs and has threatened the league’s season as a whole.