At least one player from the Miami Marlins went out on the town when the team was in Atlanta, and that ill-advised venture is now believed to be responsible for the team’s coronavirus outbreak.
During a recent radio appearance on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, USA Today baseball reporter Bob Nightengale said that “at least” one Marlins player went out prior to playing the Braves, and it is believed that sparked an outbreak that has infected at least 17 players and coaches.
Nightengale said:
I think it’s a wake-up call for all the other teams, saying, ‘You’d better not go out at night.’ Because if you bring it in, you’ve got a chance to knock off the season by yourself.
[…]
Well, I think a couple guys went out in Atlanta. That’s what happened. I don’t think it was any kind of fluke, from the bus driver or a pilot, any of that. I believe some guys got careless, at least one guy did for sure, he went out, and came back positive and spread it around.
MLB has not officially commented on the report.
After the slew of positive tests following the Marlins games against the Phillies, the league canceled the Miami’s game against the Orioles and the Phillies game against the Yankees.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn