PITTSBURGH — The entire three-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis that was set to begin Monday night at Busch Stadium has been postponed while the Cardinals deal with a COVID-19 outbreak.
There have now been 27 games postponed by Major League Baseball because of coronavirus concerns. The Cardinals have not played since July 30 and have had 13 games scrapped.
MLB said Sunday night that the league and the Cardinals “believe it is prudent to conduct additional testing while players and staff are quarantined before the team returns to play.”
The Cardinals’ weekend series at home against the Chicago Cubs was called off Friday after two more St. Louis players and a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. Eight of their players in total have tested positive, including star catcher Yadier Molina, who revealed his diagnosis Aug. 4 in a Spanish-language Instagram post.
Cardinals manager Mike Shildt told St. Louis’ KMOX radio station Sunday that some of those infected have visited the emergency room to seek treatment for symptoms. None has been hospitalized.
“Nobody is in close to any critical shape, but people are having to deal with some things that aren’t comfortable at all,” Shildt reportedly said.
“Obviously we don’t want the whole series to get canceled,” Pittsburgh catcher Jacob Stallings said Sunday morning. “I think we’re grateful that we get a day off. It’s been obviously a tough stretch. Our pitching could use it. And you know, we’ve had a tough schedule to start the year, so grateful for the day off, but then also everybody doesn’t want three games canceled; we want to get those games in.”
The Braves, who eliminated in the NLDS by the Cardinals last season, were not schedule to play St. Louis this shortened 60-game regular season.
