The Phillies announced this morning that their latest wave of testing again revealed no new positive tests for Covid-19. The team will travel to New York to play the Yankees in the Bronx tonight, according to the announcement. Jake Arrieta is lined up to face Gerrit Cole in tonight’s series opener, and Aaron Nola will start the game tomorrow night, according to the team.
It will be the first game for the Phillies since last Sunday’s game against the Marlins. The Miami organization hosted the first outbreak of the Major League Baseball team, causing the Phillies’ season to come to a halt as the league conducted additional testing and contact tracing.
The Phillies ended up with positive results among the team’s coaches and clubhouse staff, which could have served to further delay their return to the field, but their players have always tested negative. They’ll be back in game action tonight in New York, but they’re long overdue, with only three games on the books to date.
In a season that would only include six scheduled days off, losing a full week from the start is particularly difficult for the Phillies. They will be looking to make up for lost time with double games and a few extra games on what would otherwise have been days off. As it stands, they are set for a four-game home and home series against the Yankees. week before hosting the Braves at Citizens Bank Park next weekend. (GG) (Rumors MLB.COM)