The upcoming St. Louis Cardinals-Detroit Tigers doubleheader that was scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13 has been postponed because of the Cardinals' COVID-19 outbreak, the league announced on Monday. The outbreak has seen at least nine players and seven staff members test positive for the virus. This is the fifth series (the doubleheader was a standalone series to make up previously postponed games) in a row to be affected for the Cardinals, who have played just five games this season.
The league said it made the decision because "it is prudent to continue additional testing while players and staff are quarantined before the team returns to play." Here's the full statement, from the league's press release:
Major League Baseball announced today that Thursday's scheduled doubleheader between the St. Louis Cardinals and the host Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park has been postponed. MLB and the Club believe it is prudent to continue additional testing while players and staff are quarantined before the team returns to play. More information regarding the Cardinals' resumption of play will be announced later in the week.
The Cardinals have not played since July 29. Their next scheduled game is Friday against the White Sox, but it remains to be seen if that will be played as scheduled.
According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, at least one more positive COVID-19 test was expected from the Cardinals in their latest round of testing on Sunday. It's unclear if the positive case is a player or staff member. On Sunday, manager Mike Shildt revealed that multiple members of the team have had to go to the emergency room because they were experiencing symptoms.
Due to the Cardinals outbreak as well as the Marlins outbreak earlier this season, the league announced an updated schedule for the teams impacted by positive COVID-19 tests last week, but more changes will have to be made if MLB still intends for the Cardinals to try and play 60 games by late September.
There have now been 29 games postponed because of the coronavirus in the abbreviated 2020 season.
