CHICAGO — The Cleveland Guardians' game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field has been postponed on Wednesday due to 'multiple positive COVID-19 tests within the Guardians organization.'
Major League Baseball put out the following announcement: "Following multiple positive COVID-19 tests within the Cleveland Guardians organization, their afternoon road game today vs. the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field has been postponed to allow for continued testing and contact tracing. Major League Baseball will provide a rescheduling update when it becomes available."
The Guardians-White Sox game is the first to be postponed due to COVID-19 in Major League Baseball this season.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Guardians had announced that manager Terry Francona had tested postive for COVID-19 and would not be with the team for their game against the White Sox. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale was slated to manage the team during Francona's absence.
However, Hale also tested positive and the Guardians have “multiple coaches and other team support staff members” infected with the virus, according to team spokesman Bart Swain per the Associated Press.
There are no known current cases among Cleveland’s players. The team recently had an outbreak.
At this point, it's unclear who will manage the Guardians when they open a three-game series in Minnesota on Friday. It's likely the team will bring up several minor league coaches and field coordinators for the series.
The recent surge in coronavirus cases has already affected the Guardians this season. In late April, infielder Owen Miller, starting pitcher Cal Quantrill and reliever Anthony Castro were all placed on the COVID-19 list.
Hale managed Cleveland for 63 games during the 2021 season while Francona was recovering from several health concerns, posting a record of 30-33. Francona also missed the bulk of the 2020 campaign, with Sandy Alomar Jr. acting as manager in the COVID-shortened season. Alomar may be a possibility to manage the team on Friday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
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