Marty’s musings: positive tests and opt-outs

Welcome to ‘Marty’s Musings’, my weekly column of numbers summarizing the happenings in the baseball world. I am your guide for taking an analytic look at the news and notes throughout the game, and highlighting this week’s key pitching matchups.

We’re getting closer and closer to MLB’s official Opening Day, but testing issues and positive results continue to raise questions about whether or not the league is really ready to start in two weeks.

News & Notes

66 - Positive tests that have come back since MLB initiated their training camp COVID testing, as of last Friday. This included 58 players and eight staff members across 27 of the 30 teams.

0 - Players who were tested when they returned to camp from the Dominican Republic. Despite all the negotiations, so far, MLB’s testing program has had a myriad of issues including not getting foreign players tested quickly enough, and in some cases, such as in Oakland, not getting test results back for days and days while team members workout in close quarters.

2 - Workouts canceled by the Houston Astros, who are waiting on tests after an apparent COVID exposure. None of the Astros pitchers or pitching coaches are at camp yet.

11 - Players who have so far announced they will opt-out of the 2020 season. Giants vet Buster Posey is the latest to say he won’t take on the health risks associated with the shortened season.

10 - Days until Opening Day.

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