Remainder of Twins-Angels Series Postponed Due to Positive COVID Test Inside Twins Organization

[Lucas Seehafer PT]

The Minnesota Twins announced Saturday evening that their matchup with the Los Angeles Angels slated to begin at 8:07 p.m. CT was postponed “to allow for continued testing and contact tracing involving members of the Twins organization.”The Minnesota Twins announced Saturday evening that their matchup with the Los Angeles Angels slated to begin at 8:07 p.m. CT was postponed “to allow for continued testing and contact tracing involving members of the Twins organization.”

 

 

Sunday's game has also been postponed.

 

 

The Athletic’s Dan Hayes provided further detail regarding the reasoning behind the postponement, reporting that a Twins’ staffer as well as outfielder Kyle Garlick have tested for COVID-19 since the team arrived in California.

 

 

Hayes also reported that the Twins’ most recent positive cases don’t appear to be connected to Andrelton Simmons’ positive test earlier in the week.

 

 

Additionally, the Twins have not announced further positive results, though contact tracing and testing remains ongoing.

 

Perhaps the more concerning aspect of his positive test, for both the Twins and Angels, is that Garlick was in the Twins’ lineup during the team’s 10-3 loss Friday night and has appeared in their last five games dating back to April 13.

 

This is a developing situation and more news is sure to break in the near future. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for more information as the story develops. For now, we wish a speedy, full recovery for Garlick and the yet-unnamed staffer.

 

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[bighat]

Welp, this season is now officially off the rails.

 

This is stuff most teams figured out how to handle in 2020 and long before Spring Training.

 

Inexcusable, frankly.

[VivaBomboRivera!]

This shows that no testing and quarantine protocol can stop an epidemic; they can only slow it down to buy time for treatments/cures. The Twins have been very rigorous with the implementation and enforcement of their process. Management statements, such as this one from Derek Falvey at the time Simmons' illness was announced, make the point:

Minnesota held a team meeting to remind players about protocols and precautions even though a majority of the team have been vaccinated. “We’re not out of the woods by any means on that front,” Falvey said. “Now is the time to be as vigilant as possible.”

 

“We want to continue to educate people in the environment. This is real,” Falvey told the team. “We know that from looking not just across our sport, but across all sports and across the country and the world. Our view of that is constantly reminding people of why we think it’s a good idea to get vaccinated,” Falvey explained. “Our docs have recommended that, and so we continue to provide them as resources to players, to learn as much as they can about this.”

 

The team's system worked from July - September and again through spring training, but it only takes one accidental transmission to set the dominoes falling. Games will be postponed, and people will continue to get sick and die until most of the population worldwide is vaccinated. Hopefully the Twins will continue their efforts to get the word out.

[gunnarthor]

Yeah, this sorta has a "I want to hit reset" type of vibe to the season. Oh well. Hope everyone is healthy.

[goliath]

Has it been reported anywhere how many Twins players and staff chose not to get vaccinated?

This statement says majority, but on the telecast last week, it was mentioned that it was less than 85% of the team required to change/ease some of the restrictions.

[insagt1]

Gives the team some time to try and figure things out. Also gives Buxton more time to heal from his most recent injury. Maybe he'll  be able to play 3 or 4 more games in a row before another strikes. Don't want to make light of any of this though. COVID is not going away. Its not a political hoax and it doesn't care what nationality you are.

[Dr. Evil]

Covid is no joke. It's not the flu or some ailment with predictable results. It's dangerous. It makes the rounds through people's bodies differently from person to person.

 

I encourage everyone to get vaccinated for themselves and their fellow humans.

[MNT1996]

Frustrating start to the season, to say the least.

[Twinfan603]

Hayes said the game was cancelled--does that mean we're just doing 160 games if things go well now?

 

Not sure how you'd make up 2 games, unless you do 6 games in 4 days when the Angels come to town later this year, which seems insane.

[bighat]

 

Has it been reported anywhere how many Twins players and staff chose not to get vaccinated?

This statement says majority, but on the telecast last week, it was mentioned that it was less than 85% of the team required to change/ease some of the restrictions.

I don't think you're going to get a list of those who got vaccinated, personal medical information, etc. I did see that Betsy Halfand tweeted that Kyle Garlick DID get the vax (see tweet below) and remember that Sano and Astudillo, already had the virus a year ago.

 

Overall it's just getting old. I thought we were done with this nonsense - and up until now, the Washington Nationals were the only other team to screw the pooch on this, and that was opening weekend.

 

Just super frustrating as a fan. Get it together already, Twins.

 

 

 

 

[Craig Arko]

Note that being vaccinated does not mean one cannot contract the disease (and possibly transmit it). It means one is (much) less likely to get seriously sick and die from it.

 

It's the transmission possibility that's going to be the main concern for the vaccinated. And that's why keeping up the protocols is important even after receiving the shots right now.

[twinfan]

The season will continue to be affected by COVID ragardless of vaccinations. The closeness of players, etc and no mask wearing in dugouts can still spread the disease which is rising in numbers right now- albeit mostly among younger people who have not yet been vaccinated. We will be eventually finished with this (mostly) but not in 2021. And then comes the boosters...... 

 

Hey. With the way we've been playing, maybe this will be a welcome break.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Hayes said the game was cancelled--does that mean we're just doing 160 games if things go well now?

 

Not sure how you'd make up 2 games, unless you do 6 games in 4 days when the Angels come to town later this year, which seems insane.

They did even more insane makeup schedules last year — the Cardinals and Marlins spring to mind. But they also left a few games unplayed, as long as those games didn’t affect who made the playoffs. (Those games weren’t made up if they only affected playoff seeding.)

[umterp23]

so maybe just maybe the J & J vaccine isn't very good

[strumdatjaguar]

So they say that it doesn’t appear that the new Covid cases have anything to do with Andrelton Simmons’ Covid case. Last time I checked, Covid is an airborne disease. If there is an infected person in that same locker room (with Mitch Garver and other staff), that infected person would be breathing the tiny viruses out into the air. Masks do not keep all those little viruses from escaping (you may notice your glasses outside your own mask fogging up with escaping breath).

I guess the Twins don’t want Simmons feeling bad about saying he wouldn’t get the vaccine and then becoming infected.

Still, it seems that this is a better “teachable moment” in epidemiology about the benefits to all about getting the vaccine, at a time when many seem to minimize its proven effectiveness in preventing contraction snd transmission of the virus.

Twins players and staff should get whatever Covid vaccine is available unless a Doctor recommends against it. If a player refuses, and then misses games as a result after being infected, I’d like to see that person lose out on his salary during that time (but know that won’t happen!). End of rant!!!!

[Otto von Ballpark]

So they say that it doesn’t appear that the new Covid cases have anything to do with Andrelton Simmons’ Covid case.

That is what they said initially, but it sounds like they are backing off that statement now:

 

The #MNTwins downplayed this earlier belief as more evidence rolled in tonight. Whereas the staffer on Friday had no overlap with Andrelton Simmons, the outbreak has "stemmed from a variant, properties of which appeared in all four positive tests."

https://twitter.com/DanHayesMLB/status/1383656194301067265?s=20

[strumdatjaguar]

Thanks for the new info. This is a serious communicable disease. The vaccines have been shown to prevent it. THEN - It’s pretty darn hard to transmit what you ain’t got.

[USAFChief]

The Strib's story:

 

https://m.startribune.com/covid-issues-stall-final-two-games-of-twins-angels-series/600047292/

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I’m assuming MLB is waiting on 24-hour test results from yesterday afternoon, and that we will hear more in a few hours. Per Twitter, the Twins have kicked all communications on this up to MLB. However, Falvey will be going on ‘CCO 830 at 2 PM, so I hear.

[snyde043]

 

so maybe just maybe the J & J vaccine isn't very good

 

No, it means that they haven't reached full vaccination, which comes two weeks after getting the shot. 

[nmcowboy]

 

so maybe just maybe the J & J vaccine isn't very good

Can't draw that conclusion. They just got the shot a few days ago.  It takes 2 weeks for full immunity.  Plus no vaccine is 100%

[insagt1]

A's game Monday also postponed. Don't like that this is COVID related for sure, but the Twins will probably benefit by the time off. Between the injuries and the slumps, a break can't hurt.

[D.C Twins]

Decisions have consequences.... The Northwestern Football team had ZERO positive tests over an entire season....

 

The success of organizations with COVID is not random, but behavior based.

 

 

 

[umterp23]

 

Can't draw that conclusion. They just got the shot a few days ago.  It takes 2 weeks for full immunity.  Plus no vaccine is 100%

 

Wasn't drawing a conclusion as I stated just maybe... I have had two friends get vaccines over the last 2 months and they are doing all the other prudent measures to stay safe.  Still both got it.  Now they say it hasn't been bad but still say they have positive test.  Might point is vaccines aren't bullet proof and CDC has J&J on hold.  

[h2oface]

Looks like the Angels are playing today. At least we didn't infect them, too. Hopefully.

[Twins33]

 

Has it been reported anywhere how many Twins players and staff chose not to get vaccinated?

This statement says majority, but on the telecast last week, it was mentioned that it was less than 85% of the team required to change/ease some of the restrictions.

Gleeman said they are at 82%. He may have been quoting Dan Hayes, that part I don’t remember specifically but that’s the number coming from the Athletic reporters. 

[Dodecahedron]

 

This is stuff most teams figured out how to handle in 2020 and long before Spring Training.

Inexcusable, frankly.

How? The vaccine was only available when the season started. All teams are following the same protocols as defined by the MLB.

 

The Twins had an anti-vaxxer (or something) and an outbreak started almost immediately. People who are anti-vaccine are also usually anti-mask, etc., thus they tend to engage in riskier behaviors.

 

This was a predictable outcome. Inexcusable? Maybe, but it's difficult to pin the blame on the Twins organization. The Twins were doing everything they could, and even made the vaccine available before the general public had access to vaccine. No word on how the MLB or the team were able to jump ahead in line. Maybe that's inexcusable too.

[Vanimal46]

The Twins were doing everything they could, and even made the vaccine available before the general public had access to vaccine. No word on how the MLB or the team were able to jump ahead in line. Maybe that's inexcusable too.

What phase was Minnesota in for the vaccine rollout on April 9? It’s been everyone 16+ years old eligible to get it in Texas since 3/29. It was still pretty difficult for the general public to get it in the early weeks, but I was able to get the J&J on 4/8.

[Dodecahedron]

 

What phase was Minnesota in for the vaccine rollout on April 9? It’s been everyone 16+ years old eligible to get it in Texas since 3/29. It was still pretty difficult for the general public to get it in the early weeks, but I was able to get the J&J on 4/8.

 

I can only go by where I am. Here, we only exited Phase 1A (healthcare workers) the last week of February. Phase 1B (elderly and high risk) was nowhere near done before the federal government opened it up to everyone on the 16th. My county was going as fast as it could, but they were having trouble getting enough doses. 

 

As of this week, it's available everywhere around here because pharmacies are offering it to everyone over 16. My appointment is on Friday. My mother-in-law, who is 77 and has severe lung problems, only got a dose after I called to complain a few weeks ago.

 

Granted, if you know Illinois, you know that Chicago gets first dibs on every resource the state has, and I'm in a neighboring county.

[Vanimal46]

I can only go by where I am. Here, we only exited Phase 1A (healthcare workers) the last week of February. Phase 1B (elderly and high risk) was nowhere near done before the federal government opened it up to everyone on the 16th. My county was going as fast as it could, but they were having trouble getting enough doses.

 

As of this week, it's available everywhere around here because pharmacies are offering it to everyone over 16. My appointment is on Friday. My mother-in-law, who is 77 and has severe lung problems, only got a dose after I called to complain a few weeks ago.

 

Granted, if you know Illinois, you know that Chicago gets first dibs on every resource the state has, and I'm in a neighboring county.

Yeah, I’m not up to speed on it either besides my area. When Texas moved to 16+ adult phase, it was a struggle scheduling an appointment in Austin and major cities. I lucked out securing an appointment at Walgreens in a small town 60 miles away.

 

Congrats on getting your appointment scheduled and I’m wishing for little to no side effects for you!