Do I still have to say things like “this is all fluid,” or “everything is subject to change”? If so, consider those things said.
But right now, the plan remains for the St. Louis Cardinals to resume their season on Friday, hosting the Chicago Cubs for a weekend set. After 13 positive tests (7 players, 6 staff) between Thursday and Saturday, it appears that they have not yet had another positive. If that continued through Thursday, you might feel reasonably comfortable that the initial spread has been identified and isolated. If, however, there’s another positive or set of positives this week, I expect that this weekend’s series will be postponed.
To that end, Cubs President Theo Epstein confirmed today that the Cubs are preparing as though the series will go on this weekend:
Theo Epstein said the Cubs are approaching this weekend as if they are heading to St. Louis but are remaining flexible while MLB has "a lot to work through" with the Cardinals.
— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) August 4, 2020
At the moment, that’s really all the Cubs can do. Even if it’s only a 50/50 proposition that the series proceeds, you need to be making arrangements in advance. And in the meantime, you hope MLB and the Cardinals are working closely together to do everything necessary to protect themselves internally, and any visitors.
If the games are played, we know that the Cardinals will be missing a number of players, Yadi Molina and Paul DeJong among them. But really, the focus is going to be less on that, and more on whether the games can be played safely.