- There has been no date set on when the Miami Marlins will return to play.
- The MLB has already postponed two games due to a Covid-19 outbreak among the Miami Marlins.
- The MLB season has -250 odds of being suspended at any point in 2020.
MIAMI – The MLB’s return has been short-lived as it has been engulfed in a COVID-19 outbreak only four games into their abbreviated regular season.
The Miami Marlins are well over a dozen players and coaches who have tested positive for the coronavirus, which in return forced the MLB to postpone the Marlins vs. Baltimore Orioles game as well as the Yankees vs. Phillies game.
These types of game cancellations day-to-day could become the new norm in baseball as the MLB tries to keep players safe and play a full season amid the pandemic. The MLB does have protocols in place to keep players safe but unlike the MLS or NBA, there is no bubble set up for players.
"This could put it in danger," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "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."
However, online sportsbooks have taken a stronger approach, saying that the MLB regular season is favored (-250 odds) to be suspended at any point in 2020.
Will the MLB Season be suspended at any point in 2020?
- Yes -250
- No +185
The season not being suspended does come with +185 odds and bettors should take the “No” option for this prop.
While the positive COVID-19 tests from the Marlins present a nightmare scenario for the MLB early in the season, the power to end the season lies in commissioner Rob Manfred’s hands.
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Manfred has been on the record saying that restarting the season would be an uphill battle and early on its proven to be just that but with revenue on the table it would be hard for the MLB to end the regular season already.
"I don't have a firm number of days in mind (to pause the season). I think the way that I think about it, Dan, is in the vein of competitive integrity, in a 60-game season," said Manfred. "If we have a team or two that's really decimated with a number of people who had the virus and can't play for any significant period of time, it could have a real impact on the competition and we'd have to think very, very hard about what we're doing."
Miami Marlins Outbreak Impact on the MLB Season
The Marlins outbreak is the first major outbreak of the coronavirus in any major sport in North America. This string of positive COVID-19 tests from the Marlins has already challenged the MLB’s return to play protocols early.
The biggest impact the Marlins coronavirus tests could have on the season is that if the Marlins aren’t able to field an active traveling roster or taxi squad because too many of their players and coaches have fallen ill. While the healthy players don’t want to risk getting sick it puts the MLB in a tough position.
Lastly, the MLB could change some of the protocols such as no longer allowing players awaiting test results to play since multiple Marlins personnel had already tested positive for the coronavirus before the Sunday matchup in Philadelphia.
However, it seems likely the biggest impact the Marlins outbreak will have on the MLB season is pushing more players to opt-out of playing baseball for the year. With no timetable set on when the Miami Marlins will return to play or if their games will be rescheduled, Major League Baseball has some serious questions to answer as they try to get through a shortened season.
As a professional sports writer, Robert has written for outlets such as the FAMUAN and other sports-centric platforms. He focuses mainly on NFL and NBA betting, though he keeps tabs on every major sport.
