(Chicago) A COVID-19 outbreak at the Cleveland Guardians, including head coach Terry Francona, forced the MLB to postpone Wednesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox for additional testing and a contact tracing operation.
This is the first time this season that a game has been postponed due to COVID-19.
Major leagues released a statement in which they said “several positive diagnoses of COVID-19” were reported in the Guardians.
Francona tested positive for COVID-19 hours before the game on Wednesday and will be sidelined indefinitely as a result.
The 63-year-old man is asymptomatic. Francona has missed most of the last two seasons due to various health issues.
Guardians bench coach DeMarlo Hale, who replaced Francona when he was absent last season, will lead the team to the final game of the series against the Chicago White Sox. Hale will serve as manager until Francona returns.
The Guardians will have the day off on Thursday before starting a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Friday.
Francona has been healthy this season after two more difficult campaigns. In 2020, he had led just 14 meetings during a season cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, in particular due to hospitalization resulting from complications attributable to gastroenteritis.
Last year, Francona suffered health problems following foot surgery during the off-season and left the team in July.
Francona starts her 10thand season with the Guardians. He won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox.
