38 people within MLB organizations test positive for coronavirus

MLB announced Friday that 31 players and seven staff members in the league had tested positive for the coronavirus during the first round of testing.

Three of the players are on the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 40-man roster. The club also has a handful of players awaiting test results — general manager Mike Hazen estimated Friday that eight to 10 members of the 60-man roster were not able to attend practice, some of whom were awaiting test results.

In total, 19 organizations had at least one person test positive.

There was a 1.2% positive rate out of 3,185 total tests.

In a conference call Friday, Hazen said that percentage is a good start but needs to be sustained before he sees it as promising.

“It’ll be encouraging if we can keep that to that level. It’s going to be on all of us to do our best to do that. That means, just because we get through the quarantine, just because we pass at this point, for me, multiple tests, doesn’t mean that behaviors can go back to normal,” he said.

“It means practicing social distancing even when we’re at the field … Wearing a mask all the time, minus when you’re exerting yourself, obviously. That’s going to be on all of us — what are we doing at night? … Being mindful of when we go out to the grocery store and things like that, that we’re still practicing those behaviors. I think that’s what it’s going to require for us to stay safe during the season.”

The first set of results for COVID-19 testing have been jointly announced by @MLB and the @MLB_PLAYERS. pic.twitter.com/zlqZPuxLxh

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) July 3, 2020

Hazen said the organization is going to be testing “rigorously and often” and is weighing the benefit of fresh air circulation through open window panels and the roof when temperatures allow against frequent air conditioning.

Three to four people take a saliva test at a time, Hazen said, and others during that specific testing window can be outside the lobby as they await the screenings including temperature checks.

“It was very well-scripted,” he said. “That procedure is gonna be continued, to the best of my knowledge, through the season.”

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