The New York Yankees' schedule has changed for the third time in 48 hours, but this time, it's (hopefully) final: the Yankees will, instead of returning home to face the Phillies on Wednesday, head to Baltimore for a two-game set against the Orioles.
MLB officially announced the change just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday in a release also revealing the fates of the Phillies and Marlins, the two teams originally scheduled to face the Yankees and Orioles, respectively, this week.
MLB makes it official: Marlins postponed through Sunday, Yankees to play at Orioles Wednesday and Thursday, Phillies off until Friday. Full release: pic.twitter.com/eHVd0FznSE
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 28, 2020Like the Yankees and Phillies, the Orioles and Marlins were supposed to play a home-and-home two-and-two set this week, but the first halves of both series were postponed after a COVID-19 outbreak amongst the Marlins, who were the previous visitors to Philadelphia over the weekend.
MLB, in the release, confirmed what the New York Post's Joel Sherman had originally reported: the Marlins will be shut down until at least Monday, the Phillies until at least Friday (when they would head to face the Blue Jays in Buffalo, already an alternate site because Canada would now allow the Jays to play in the country), and the Nationals, who are currently playing their four games against the Blue Jays, would get Friday through Sunday off, with games to be made up at a later date.
Per MLB, "additional rescheduling the week of August 3rd will be announced at a later date',' foreshadowing that there may be a switch to two scheduled series that week: a three-game set between the Phillies and Marlins in Miami (set for August 4-6) and three games between the Yankees and Orioles at Camden Yards (set for August 3-5).
If there is one silver lining in this situation, it is that the Yankees still get two games in this stretch (and, beneficially, against a moribund O's team), and the lack of fans meaning no ticket ramifications makes the already-tenuous logistical process of a change slightly easier. And, according to Jon Heyman, in initial tests given to the Phillies on Monday, only one came back positive, and that was not a player.
The downside, though, is that the Yankees are still out two games, and as this week was their only scheduled interaction with the Phillies, neither the Bombers nor their fans will get a chance to see former manager Joe Girardi or shortstop Didi Gregorius, nor will those two return to Yankee Stadium this year.
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