Following the fallout from the Marlins' COVID-19 outbreak, the Washington Nationals players on Tuesday voted against traveling to Miami this coming weekend to take on the Marlins. This comes after as many as 17 members of the Miami organization have tested positive for the coronavirus.
During Tuesday's installment of "Nothing Personal with David Samson," David Samson explained why this won't be a critical problem with league until multiple teams refuse to play against the Marlins or when other teams that have an outbreak.
"If I'm the president of the Nationals, I'm going to listen to the players and call Rob (Manfred)," Samson said. "During his interview with MLB Network, Manfred said that the show goes on. We're not thinking of canceling, this is not a nightmare. So what am I supposed to do? Call Rob and say 'my guys don't want to play' Rob would say 'take care of your own clubhouse. Don't bother me with this.' The anarchy happens when multiple teams decide that they won't travel and play against teams with positive tests."
As of right now, the Philadelphia Phillies are taking a brief hiatus from playing after facing the Marlins this past weekend. The Phillies won't play again until Friday, while the Marlins won't play until at least Aug. 3.
It's obviously understandable why the Nationals don't want to face the Marlins this coming weekend considering the abundance of positive COVID-19 tests. But as Samson states, it may not become a massive issue until multiple teams are refusing to take the field.
