MIAMI, FLORIDA – JULY 18: Isan Diaz #1 of the Miami Marlins looks on during an intrasquad simulated game at Marlins Park on July 18, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Marlins second baseman Isan Diaz has decided to opt out for the remainder of the 2020 season
The Miami Marlins have made plenty of headlines early on during the shortened Major League Baseball season, but for all of the wrong reasons. The team is now up to around 20 positive coronavirus cases and has been out of action for a little while now.
To make matters worse for Miami, reports surfaced stating members of the team went to a club in Atlanta prior to the coronavirus breakout within the organization. For young infielder Isan Diaz, the concern of the pandemic has only risen with several of his teammates testing positive.
Because of this, Diaz has decided to officially opt out of playing for the remainder of the season. He announced the news in an emotional Instagram post.
Isan Diaz is the first Miami Marlins player to opt out of playing for the rest of the 2020 campaign
As you can see from what he wrote on Instagram, the decision wasn’t an easy one for the Marlins youngster. However, after speaking with his family, he decided it was the best decision for his overall well-being.
At this point, too, it’s up in the air if the 60-game season will even be played out. Over the weekend commissioner Rob Manfred said the rest of the campaign would be canceled if team’s continues to see a rise in their coronavirus cases.
Since Friday, the St. Louis Cardinals alone have had at least six members of their organization test positive. The list includes veteran right-handed pitcher Carlos Martinez.
For now, players and fans must patiently wait to see if the cases will slow down. If they don’t, we may not have baseball on our television sets for much longer this summer.