I don’t know if anyone actually needed a reminder that the virus that causes COVID-19 is still out there spreading – they’ve been climbing nationally for about a month now – but tonight’s would-be Yankees-Red Sox game is here to provide it.
The one game on the schedule today, a spotlight game coming out of the All-Star break, and it’s off because of COVID.
The Red Sox-Yankees game for tonight has been postponed, because of positive COVID tests within the Yankees' ranks.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 15, 2021
Yankees have a major Covid issue. Game tonight postponed.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 15, 2021
It’s been a very long time since we saw a game postponed by positive COVID tests, and there have been some cases this year. So this must involve a decent number of positives and some unknown spread from there. Recall, the Yankees previously had an outbreak earlier this year, even among some who’d been vaccinated. While the vaccines are not bullet proof, all available data indicates they are highly-effective at preventing infection and transmission, as well as almost 100% effective at preventing serious illness or death.
The outbreak will undoubtedly serve as a discussion point among clubhouses, perhaps even those – like the Cubs – that have not yet reached the 85% vaccination threshold. Moreover, with cases on the rise across the country once again, you wonder whether it’s going to be the kind of checkpoint reminder nationally that, no, seriously, COVID-19 is still circulating.
UPDATE: Just to make it official:
Following positive COVID-19 tests within the Yankees organization, tonight’s game between the Yankees and the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium has been postponed to allow for continued testing and contact tracing. MLB will continue to provide scheduling updates as available.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 15, 2021
UPDATE 2: The situation:
Cashman said “not all but most” of the players who could end up positive are vaccinated. He said it was a combination of J&J and 2-shot vaccines among them. And he said the players with confirmed positive tests are doing well.
— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) July 15, 2021
Aaron Boone said this situation is different from the outbreak in May because this is player-centric, not staff. He just revealed that Gleyber Torres' case in May was a false-positive.
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) July 15, 2021
UPDATE 3: The level of sickness:
One unvaccinated Yankees player who tested positive for Covid-19 is symptomatic. Several vaccinated players who have tested positive are asymptomatic.
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) July 15, 2021
Given all data available on the vaccines, this is unlikely to be a statistical coincidence. A reminder to all who need reminding and/or who are helped by anecdotes: the vaccines work.
UPDATE 4: The All-Star Game:
All the Red Sox All-Stars who were in Denver have been asked to undergo additional testing today because they were told that one of the Yankees All-Stars has tested positive for COVID. https://t.co/0U1XXIcyql
— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) July 15, 2021
The three other Yankees position players who are in COVID-19 protocol are Aaron Judge, Kyle Higashioka, and Gio Urshela. Because Judge was at the All-Star Game with other players, this has triggered contact tracing questions for the Red Sox players (and presumably others).
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 15, 2021