Start of Mariners-A’s series postponed due to positive Oakland COVID-19 test

After the Mariners wrap up their four-game series with the Angels, they will have a few days off before they play next as their upcoming series with the Athletics has been postponed through at least Wednesday due to a member of Oakland’s franchise testing positive for COVID-19, which was announced Sunday.

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The postponement was first reported by Jessica Kleinschmidt of NBC Sports and later confirmed by the Athletics and Mariners.

The Mariners and A’s were scheduled to play a three-game series Tuesday through Thursday in Seattle, but the first two games will not happen on time due to the postponement. It has not yet been announced whether the teams will play a doubleheader on Thursday or if the two postponed games will be made up at a different date. The Mariners and A’s are also scheduled face off three times to end the regular season in Oakland from Sept. 25 through Sept. 27.

Oakland’s game on Sunday against the Astros was postponed due to the positive test, and the A’s were already scheduled to have Monday off.

The A’s said the team was conducting testing and contact tracing for everyone who had traveled to Houston, and that the team and all staff members would be self isolating in Houston and taking part in recommended safety precautions.

Bob Nightendale of USA Today reported Monday morning that all of Oakland’s players and staff members had tested negative for COVID-19 on Sunday.

The Mariners issued the following statement confirming the postponement of the games scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday:

“Out of an abundance of caution and to allow for additional testing and contact tracing to be performed within the Oakland Athletics’ organization, the scheduled games between the A’s and the host Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday, Sept. 1st and Wednesday, Sept. 2nd have been postponed. Major League Baseball will continue to provide updates as necessary.”

During the shortened 60-game season, teams in the same geographical areas have been playing each other, such as the American League and National League West, and the West divisions were the last to be hit by postponements due to COVID-19. Teams in the AL and NL East divisions had issues early on after the Marlins had a major outbreak and later, the NL Central’s St. Louis Cardinals didn’t play for roughly three weeks due to multiple positive tests.

The Mariners have had just one game postponed or delayed at all this season, and that was last Wednesday in San Diego as Seattle opted not to play in order to join other U.S. professional sports teams in protesting racial injustice after a Black man was shot last week by police in Wisconsin. That game was made up in the form of a doubleheader Thursday.

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