A’s announce positive covid-19 test, game vs. Astros postponed
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HOUSTON — A member of the Oakland Athletics organization tested positive for the coronavirus, causing MLB to postpone the team’s game Sunday against the Houston Astros.
The finale of the A’s three-game series at Minute Maid Park was called off less than four hours before the scheduled first pitch.
The A’s said the team conducted testing and contact tracing for the entire traveling party Sunday morning at the hotel and would self-isolate in Houston with recommended safety precautions in place. There were no details provided on whether the positive test came from a player, coach or someone else.
Oakland general manager David Forst, who was not traveling with the team, said the A’s will stay put until at least Monday morning, with hopes of receiving further test results and determining whether this is “an isolated infection.”
“This is our priority right now, making sure our people are healthy and safe,” Forst said.
Forst said the A’s were informed shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday by MLB there had been a positive result from Friday’s regular round of testing. The latest tests are being flown to the MLB-used lab in Utah.
He doesn’t know when the A’s will play again.
“Anything beyond today, we’re not going to speculate on. Ultimately, we need to see if this is an isolated infection or a larger issue,” Forst said.
Astros general manager James Click was informed of the A’s positive test about 1 a.m.
“The last time we were tested was Friday and all of those came back negative,” Click said. “So we are doing our testing again this morning, those will be sent to the lab and we should have those results tomorrow. If anybody comes up as a result of the contact-tracing protocols, we will try and find a way to get them rapid-tested.”
The Astros beat the A’s, 6-3, on Saturday night for a doubleheader sweep. They won the first game 4-2. The doubleheader was scheduled after the A’s and Astros decided not to play Friday night to raise awareness of racial inequality in the wake of the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Wisconsin.
Houston is scheduled to open a three-game series against the Texas Rangers beginning Tuesday at Minute Maid Park.
If the series goes on as scheduled, the Rangers would occupy the same clubhouse that the A’s just used. The clubhouse was cleaned and sanitized Saturday night, Click said, which is a part of the procedures.
“It will undergo an additional deep-cleaning today,” Click said. “My guess is we will probably do it again tomorrow. We will do whatever is required by Major League Baseball and the Rangers to make sure that the environment is sanitized before they get in there.”