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UPDATE 6/23:
The #Phillies announced that 2 more players and 2 more staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. One player and both staff members were tested in Clearwater. The other player was tested outside of Clearwater. They’ve now had a total of 7 players & 5 staffers test positive.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) June 23, 2020
Five players who were training at Philadelphia Phillies’ camp in Clearwater, Florida have tested positive for Covid-19, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. On top of the five players, three staff members have also tested positive while others wait for test results which could raise the number. The team is awaiting further test results.
This news comes as the MLB and Major League Baseball Players Association negotiate a shortened season for 2020. These positive tests come after “strict health and safety precautions were taken and group sizes were limited.”
Florida has seen a recent jump in Covid-19 cases, which correlates with these reports, but this is extremely concerning for Major League Baseball. Maybe they can learn something from this and update their safety protocols, but right now they are not working.
Until teams can prove their facilities are safe, baseball will have trouble truly starting up again. A source close to the individuals who tested positive told Salisbury, “I’m not trying to scare anyone, but this is real and it spreads quickly and easily and people need to know.”