Carlos Osorio/Associated Press
Eight people with the Philadelphia Phillies have tested positive for the coronavirus at the team’s spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida.
On Friday, the team confirmed five players and three staff members tested positive for the virus and said the first positive test occurred Tuesday:
The names of those who tested positive are unknown, and none of them have been hospitalized, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The Phillies are the first team known to have a COVID-19 outbreak. The Associated Press reported Monday that it had obtained an MLB letter that said “several players and staff” have tested positive for the virus, though no organizations were specified.
MLB owners and the MLB Players Association continue to negotiate a deal to play a shortened regular season in 2020. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Thursday that commissioner Rob Manfred rejected the players’ proposal for a 70-game schedule and expanded postseason.
Per Sarah Hollenbeck of Tampa’s ABC Action News, Florida reported a single-day record of more than 3,200 positive coronavirus cases Wednesday.
Bleacher Report’s David Gardner interviews athletes and other sports figures for the podcast How to Survive Without Sports.
