Cardinals–Tigers Series Postponed After 13 St. Louis Players, Staffers Test Positive For COVID-19

Seven St. Louis players and six staff members tested positive in the latest Major League Baseball outbreak.

Thirteen members of the Cardinals have been diagnosed with COVID-19, Major League Baseball announced on Monday.

Seven players and six staff members tested positive, leading to the postponement of the Cardinals' upcoming four-game series with the Tigers in Detroit.

Official word from MLB: 13 new positive tests for COVID-19, seven players, six staff members. Tentative plan is for team to resume season Friday in St. Louis against the Cubs.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 3, 2020

The news follows the postponement of the team's series against the Brewers this past weekend, which came after the Cardinals had two positive COVID-19 tests. 

St. Louis is planning to resume its season at home against the Cubs on Friday. The players and staffers who tested positive have returned to St. Louis. 

Cardinals president John Mozeliak said five people who tested positive were asymptomatic while eight have "headache, coughs, sniffle, low-grade fevers."

Cardinals president of operations John Mozeliak:

5 of the people who tested positive are asymptomatic
8 are showing signs: "headache, coughs, sniffle, low-grade fevers"

Mozeliak says they're hoping to travel Wednesday AM to St. Louis

— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) August 3, 2020

"It's hard to think about the future when you're literally just trying to get through the day,'' Mozeliak said, according to USA Today MLB columnist Bob Nightengale. 

The domino-effect began on Thursday, when the team found out two players tested positive for the virus from tests conducted before their Wednesday game against the Twins. The traveling party was put in quarantine on Thursday in Milwaukee ahead of their game against the Brewers and were administered MLB PCR saliva tests on Saturday. By then, the team's positive count had gone up to three players and one staff member, with three staffers' and one player's test results coming back inconclusive.

On Saturday, Jerry Hairston, Jr. claimed on Twitter that members of the Cardinals had visited a casino, but Mozeliak said he has no evidence to believe the claim. 

"I have no factual reason to believe that is true. And I have not seen any proof of that. If they were at a casino, though, that would be disappointing," Mozeliak said according to Nightengale.

The Cardinals are among a growing list of MLB teams impacted by the coronavirus. The first came after 11 players of the Marlins tested positive for COVID-19 after their series against the Phillies. The number grew steadily to 18 players and two coaches, disrupting the delayed season with more postponements. Three Phillies employees later tested positive, but no players did.

The Twins are still scheduled to face against the Pirates tonight at 8:10 p.m. ET. Minnesota played all of its scheduled games this weekend against Cleveland.