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An outbreak of COVID-19 has plagued Major League Baseball once again.
12 members of the Washington Nationals have tested positive for the virus, including four players. Star shortstop Trea Turner was informed of his positive test during Tuesday’s game against the Phillies, forcing him to exit the contest.
Of the Nationals’ 12 positive subjects, only one is believed to be unvaccinated, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY.
There were 12 positive tests, including four players, all but one believed to be fully vaccinated. https://t.co/M841kyeqAW
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 28, 2021
Jeff Passan of ESPN.com added that “a number of the breakthrough positives came with those given the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.”
Of the dozen Nationals players and staff who have tested positive for COVID-19, the vast majority were vaccinated, sources tell ESPN. A number of the breakthrough positives came with those given the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 28, 2021
As a result of this outbreak, MLB made the decision to cancel Wednesday’s game between the Phillies and Nationals. The divisional matchup will be made up as part of a straight doubleheader on Thursday afternoon. The first game will begin at 12:05 p.m. ET. In a statement, MLB said that the postponement will “allow for continued testing and contact tracing involving members of the Nationals organization.”
It’s worth noting that while the Nationals did reach the 85 percent vaccination threshold, MLB still felt more comfortable postponing the game out of an abundance of caution. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the game is able to be made up easily on Thursday, which might have factored into MLB's decision.
Rationale for Nationals-Phillies postponement, per MLB: While Nats have reached 85 percent vaccinated threshold, multiple people with club tested positive. League prefers to be cautious when game can be made up easily as part of single-admission double-header tomorrow.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2021
A COVID-19 outbreak isn’t the only pressing matter for the Nationals. The team continues to engage in trade discussions surrounding ace Max Scherzer. Meanwhile, relievers Daniel Hudson and Brand Hand are also candidates to be traded. Even Turner has garnered interest despite his placement on the COVID-19 list.
Meanwhile, the Phillies are still looking to strike their first deadline deal, too. Philadelphia had a trade in place for then-Pirates starter Tyler Anderson before the swap was called off due to a medical snag.
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