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According to a report by ESPN, a Toronto Blue Jays player was showing coronavirus symptoms in Dunedin, Fla. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Blue Jays shut down facility due to rising COVID-19 concerns

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jun 19, 2020 3:12 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays on Friday became the second MLB team to shut down their facility due to COVID-19 concerns.

Soon after the Phillies confirmed five players and three staff members located in Clearwater, Fla., had tested positive for the coronavirus, ESPN's Jeff Passan tweeted that at least one Toronto player "who recently had spent time with players in the Phillies’ minor-league system" was showing symptoms of the virus.

His COVID-19 test results weren't known as of Passan's report:

The Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday shut down their spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla., after a player exhibited COVID-19 symptoms, sources tell ESPN.

Dunedin is just up the road from Clearwater, where eight people in the Philadelphia Phillies organization tested positive.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 19, 2020

The Blue Jays player exhibiting the symptoms is a pitcher on the 40-man roster who recently had spent time with players in the Phillies’ minor leagues system, according to sources. He has been tested for COVID-19 and is awaiting results.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 19, 2020

Multiple players working out at the Blue Jays facility said they had not yet been tested. If the player is not an isolated case, testing will ramp up. “We are being overly precautious with testing,” Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins told ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 19, 2020

The Phillies, the first MLB club to verify an outbreak, according to the league office, also announced that eight individuals had tested negative, and 32 others were awaiting results as of early afternoon Friday.

In the official statement, Phillies Managing Partner John Middleton said: "The Phillies are committed to the health and welfare of our players, coaches and staff as our highest priority, and as a result of these confirmed tests, all facilities in Clearwater have been closed indefinitely to all players, coaches and staff and will remain closed until medical authorities are confident that the virus is under control and our facilities are disinfected."

Bob McKenzie of TSN reported on Friday that the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL was also affected by a COVID-19 outbreak that included at least five positive test results. The Lightning hadn't released a statement regarding the matter as of the posting of this piece.

On Thursday, Orange County, Fla., Mayor Jerry Demings mandated that individuals must wear masks or other face coverings in public places beginning on Saturday following coronavirus spikes throughout Florida.

The NHL is scheduled to begin training camps on July 10. None of the announced potential hub cities for groups of NHL teams is located in Florida:

10 cities are being considered for the two hub city spots that will host the Stanley Cup Playoffs. pic.twitter.com/bMLxSCvpRW
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) May 26, 2020

MLB owners and the MLB Players Association haven't come to terms to start the 2020 season amid the pandemic as of Friday afternoon.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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