Coronavirus: Marlins-Orioles opener canceled as virus spreading among Miami organization

The Miami Marlins' home opener Monday night against the Baltimore Orioles has been canceled because of a worst-case scenario for Major League Baseball: The coronavirus spreading among one team. The Marlins have had at least 14 members recently test positive for COVID-19, 12 players and two coaches. That MLB couldn't make it out of its first week without this happening does not bode well for completing the season.

The Marlins decided to stay in Philadelphia instead of flying home after Sunday's 11-6 win. Catcher Jorge Alfaro was placed on the injured list Friday before the series began without a public reason given -- players must give permission for teams to announce that they have tested positive or shown signs of COVID-19. Sunday's scheduled Marlins starting Jose Urena was scratched and infielder Garrett Cooper and outfielder Harold Ramirez were also were not available.

Because of that outbreak, everyone else was tested and eight more positives popped up. The Marlins' charter flight Monday from Philadelphia to Miami also was canceled. Obviously, this doesn't affect just the Marlins but also potentially members of the Phillies, with them scheduled to host the New York Yankees on Monday.

"I think that by any definition, this is an outbreak on their team," said Dr. John Swartzburg, a clinical professor emeritus at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health, Division of Infectious Disease, to The Athletic. "And an outbreak on a team means that the team needs to close down."

Anyone testing positive must quarantine away from the team until they have two negative coronavirus tests at least 24 hours apart, show no symptoms for 72 hours and be cleared by a team physician as well as the MLB COVID-19 joint committee.

There is some speculation the Marlins players may have caught the virus in Atlanta when there last Tuesday and Wednesday for exhibition games. The Braves have been without their top two catchers, Tyler Flowers and Travis d'Arnaud, after both players showed symptoms of the coronavirus. 

What's doubly concerning about this outbreak is the Marlins haven't even been back to Miami yet, which is where the virus is out of control. 

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