The Nationals had to sit out on the opening weekend of the 2021 MLB season due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing. You now have a new appointment to start playing.
MLB announced on Sunday evening that Washington would begin its season on Tuesday, April 6th against the Braves at Nationals Park, DC. MLB.com reported that the game is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET. The Nats will train on the Monday before the new opener.
MORE: Why Was Mets Nationals Postponed?
“The last round of testing by the Nationals staff did not contain any new positive results,” MLB said in its statement. “All eligible club employees can participate in baseball activities at Nationals Park on Monday.”
MLB postponed the Nationals opening series with three games against the Mets (April 1-4) and their home game against the Braves on Monday as four Nats players tested positive. Seven other players and two employees were forced into quarantine due to the contact tracing.
The team did not reveal any of the names of the players involved, but Nat’s general manager Mike Rizzo told reporters the “majority” of the quarantined players are on the team’s 26-man roster.
Rizzo also said that the players who tested positive showed an improvement in their conditions. “Any symptoms that may have occurred have subsided,” he told reporters (via MLB.com). “You feel much, much better.”
The Nationals will have to make a number of squad moves ahead of Tuesday’s game. This will help confirm who tested positive and who was forced into quarantine. MLB.com reported that the team is expecting to retrieve the required replacement from its alternate location in Fredericksburg, Va.
The Mets have not returned any positive tests. They will start their season in Philadelphia on Monday.
No makeup dates were disclosed for the postponed games.
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