Fauci says baseball season could be ‘in danger’ as players test positive for coronavirus

Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious diseases expert, cautioned Tuesday that an outbreak of coronavirus among Miami Marlins players and staff could threaten the abbreviated MLB season just days after it began.

“This could put it in danger. I don’t believe they need to stop, but we just need to follow this and see what happens with other teams on a day-by-day basis,” Fauci said on “Good Morning America.”

The Marlins reported four more positive tests on Tuesday, bringing their total to 17 since last Friday. The outbreak has force MLB to postpone a total of four games thus far as the positive tests ripple through the league.

Fauci, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch to open the delayed baseball season at Nationals Park last week, called the Marlins’ outbreak “very unfortunate.” 

“I hope the players are alright. I heard about a dozen of them have gotten infected,” he said shortly before the four additional positive tests were reported. “Even though they’re young, vigorous and very healthy, I hope they’re OK. But you just have to watch this.”

The cluster of cases in the Marlins clubhouse has led to questions about the viability of the 2020 season amid a pandemic that has killed more than 145,000 people in the U.S. The team’s home city of Miami has been among the hardest hit, and Florida officials on Tuesday reported 9,230 new cases of COVID-19 and 186 deaths, a single-day record for fatalities.