Miami Marlins could derail Oakland A’s title hopes

The Oakland A’s are seemingly in good shape in the AL West, but the season could come to an end before they achieve their desired result.

For the Oakland A’s, the 2020 season is seemingly set up perfectly. With the Astros having lost Justin Verlander for at least a couple of weeks, and a quick start to the season, the A’s may find themselves in the driver’s seat for the AL West. With a stellar defense and pitching depth that could quickly become the envy of the league.

But there is always the spectre that is hovering over the year. The ongoing pandemic has cast a long shadow, one that can be seen every time a game is played without fans in the stands. Continued outbreaks have led to questions as to whether or not the season should even take place.

Those questions came to a head on Monday. The Miami Marlins already had three players test positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. On Monday, another 11 players and two coaches tested positive. Then, on Tuesday, four more players received positive tests.

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Currently, the Marlins are in lockdown, with their games postponed until Monday. The Phillies, their opponents over the weekend, have their games postponed until Friday. There is chaos when it comes to the schedule for the eastern divisions.

What does this mean for the A’s? Nothing – yet. At this point, it is just a reminder that the season could unravel in moments. That is what is happening with the Marlins – they have been put in mothballs for the time being, with their season paused as Major League Baseball tries to figure something out.

For the A’s, this is another potential setback in what was supposed to be their year. The season has already been shortened to 60 games, with the schedule condensed into just over ten weeks. While they are relatively healthy currently, one or two injuries could derail their hopes. And then there is the ever present shadow over the season, growing darker by the day.

The 2020 season is continuing for now. However, the Miami Marlins situation bears watching – while we hope everyone ends up healthy, this outbreak could derail the season entirely.