The Washington Nationals canceled a Monday workout due to stalled coronavirus test results, one day after the team announced that two of its players had tested positive for the virus.
“Per Major League Baseball’s protocol, all players and staff were tested for COVID-19 on Friday, July 3,” said Mike Rizzo, Nationals president and general manager. “Seventy-two hours later, we have yet to receive the results of those tests. We cannot have our players and staff at risk. Therefore, we have canceled our team workout scheduled this morning.”
Nationals manager Dave Martinez told media Sunday that two of the team’s 60 players tested positive.
So far three players on the team — Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross and Welington Castillo — have already chosen not to play this year.
The defending World Series champion Nationals have been training at National Park in recent days ahead of the start of the shortened 2020 season. Washington is scheduled to host the New York Yankees on July 23.