NEW YORK — Major League Baseball postponed this weekend’s Subway Series to allow time for more testing and contact tracing after two members of the New York Mets tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Mets had their game Thursday night in Miami as well as Friday’s opener against the Yankees postponed on Thursday after the results were reported. MLB postponed the entire weekend series between the New York teams on Friday “out of an abundance of caution and to allow for additional testing and contact tracing.”

The Mets flew home Thursday night and are in New York, and the team said in a statement the traveling party was tested at Citi Field on Friday morning before being sent home to quarantine. The team does not plan to work out this weekend.

The team said those who tested positive or were identified as close contacts remained in Miami. It did not specify how many close contacts had been identified.

The league has now postponed 36 games this season because of positive tests with the Miami Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and the Mets. The Yankees have twice had their schedule interrupted despite reporting no positive tests since Opening Day.

The positive tests are the first confirmed within the Mets organization since the season began. Right-hander Brad Brach missed preseason camp and confirmed he tested positive for the coronavirus.

MLB said Friday that seven of 12,485 samples collected over the past week from players and coaches returned positive COVID-19 results, a positive rate of 0.05%.

Three of the positives were players and four were staff members. Of all the samples collected by MLB this season, 0.1% have returned positive, and 19 teams have had a player or staff member test positive.

YANKEES: All-Star shortstop Gleyber Torres and left-hander James Paxton have joined New York’s crowded injured list.

Torres had an MRI on Friday that revealed mild strains in his left hamstring and quad, and Paxton had an MRI on Thursday that showed a low-grade strain in his left forearm flexor.

Left-hander Luis Avilán was also placed on the injured list after an MRI on Thursday revealed left shoulder inflammation.

The Yankees are already without star hitters Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu, as well as left-hander Zack Britton, right-hander Tommy Kahnle and backup catcher Kyle Higashioka – all on the IL. Judge was expected to be activated Saturday after recovering from a strained right calf, but the Yankees now aren’t scheduled to play until Monday.

INDIANS: Manager Terry Francona underwent a scheduled medical procedure for a gastrointestinal ailment and will likely miss the team’s three-game series against the Detroit Tigers.

At this point, it’s now known when Francona, a two-time World Series winner, will return.

President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti provided an update on the 61-year-old Francona, who has already missed 14 games this season. Francona recently revealed he’s had numerous surgeries in the past year for the condition.

Antonetti said Francona was still feeling “really uncomfortable” leading up to the procedure, which was performed at the Cleveland Clinic. The hope is the latest one will help him feel well enough to continue managing in 2020.

NATIONALS: Pitcher Stephen Strasburg was diagnosed with carpal tunnel neuritis on his throwing hand after seeing a nerve specialist, Manager Dave Martinez said.

Martinez said surgery could be an option but he has yet to talk with the 2019 World Series MVP. Strasburg was put on the injured list on Aug. 15, a day after he recorded just two outs at Baltimore. It was the 32-year-old’s first appearance on the IL since 2018.

After going 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA in 33 starts in 2019, the right-hander is 0-1 this season with a 10.80 ERA in two starts.

“I’m going to talk to him to see what his options are and what he wants to do,” Martinez said before Friday’s game against the Marlins. “I think it’s something that’s going to have to be fixed, so we’ll see.”

ROYALS: Kansas City placed catcher Salvador Perez on the injured list because of a lingering vision problems and recalled Randy Rosario to add a left-handed arm in the bullpen ahead of its three-game series against the Minnesota Twins.

ORIOLES: Slumping Chris Davis has been placed on the 10-day injured list, and Baltimore recalled highly touted prospect Ryan Mountcastle and made him the starting left fielder Friday night against Boston.

Davis heads to IL with a .122 batting average and patellar tendinitis in his left knee. Currently in the fifth season of a $161 million, seven-year contract, the former two-time home run champion has only six hits – none of them homers – and one RBI.

Drafted with the 36th overall pick in the 2015 draft, Mountcastle, 23, was the International League MVP last year after batting .312 with 25 homers and 83 RBI for Triple-A Norfolk.

TRADE: The Philadelphia Phillies acquired right-handed reliever David Hale from the New York Yankees to help their major league-worst bullpen, sending back righty relief prospect Addison Russ.

Hale has appeared in 95 games over six seasons with the Braves, Rockies and Yankees. He has allowed two earned runs and has one save in six innings this season. He was designated for assignment Monday when All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman returned from the COVID-19 injured list.

Phillies relievers have combined for an 8.07 ERA this season, the worst in the majors by nearly two runs.

Philadelphia also placed left-hander Jose Alvarez on the 10-day injured list because of a testicular contusion and recalled lefty JoJo Romero from the team’s alternate site.

Russ, 25, has been working out at Philadelphia’s alternate site and hasn’t pitched above Double-A. He has a 2.48 ERA and 50 saves over three minor league seasons, including a 2.54 ERA and 22 saves with Double-A Reading last season.

Russ was added to New York’s 60-man roster and assigned to the alternate site.

 

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