5 Nationals Players In Quarantine On Eve Of Opening Day: Reports

WASHINGTON, DC — On the eve of opening day, the Washington Nationals learned that five of their players will be ineligible to play in Thursday night’s game against the New York Mets after one of the players tested positive for the coronavirus, according to reports.

The player and the team learned about the positive test Wednesday morning. Four players and one team staff member were deemed close contacts of the player who tested positive, Mark Zuckerman, Nationals reporter for MASN, reported Wednesday afternoon.

The Nationals plan on playing Thursday night and will replace the ineligible players with players from the team’s camp in Fredericksburg who did not make the final roster, Nationals President Mike Rizzo told reporters.

The player who tested positive was on the team’s flight from Florida to Washington, Rizzo said.

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The team has yet to release the names of the players in quarantine.

Max Scherzer, who is the Nationals’ scheduled starting pitcher for the opening day game, said he was not on the team charter and believes he will be able to play Thursday night, Zuckerman reported.

The tests were reportedly conducted Monday, with the results coming back Wednesday morning, Rizzo said.

During the six weeks of spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida, the Nationals did not have a single positive coronavirus test, according to Zuckerman.