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Miami Marlins' coronavirus outbreak reaches 17 cases
The Miami Marlins' coronavirus outbreak continues to yield more positive cases. Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Marlins' coronavirus outbreak reaches 17 cases

The Miami Marlins have had four more positive coronavirus tests, bringing up their number of confirmed cases up to 17 as their season has been put on hold.

The Athletic reported the four new cases, as the team previously had 11 players and two coaches with positive tests, forcing the team to cancel two games. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred expressed hope that the team may be able to play on Wednesday if the players and coaches tested negative, but the new batch of positive tests makes that all but impossible.

The outbreak has caused some to put the entire MLB season into question, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, who admitted that the outbreak could be the season's undoing.

"This could put it in danger," Fauci said on "Good Morning America." "I don't believe they need to stop, but we just need to follow this and see what happens with other teams on a day-by-day basis."

However, Manfred has insisted that this situation is still very much salvageable and insists that there are no current plans to shut down the season.

"I don't put this in the nightmare category," Manfred said. "We don't want any player to get exposed. It's not a positive thing, but I don't see it as a nightmare. We built the protocols to allow us to continue to play. That's why we have the expanded rosters. That's why we have the expanded pools of additional players. We think we can keep people safe and continue to play."

Even with Manfred's reassurance, the Marlins will need to get their cases down if they want to play anytime soon.

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