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Yankees expected to host Red Sox Friday despite COVID-19 outbreak
A general view of New York Yankees hat and glove laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field.  Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Yankees expected to host Red Sox Friday despite COVID-19 outbreak

Thursday's series opener between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium was postponed a few hours before the scheduled first pitch due to COVID-19 issues impacting the Bronx Bombers.

According to ESPN's Enrique Rojas, Jeff Passan and Buster Olney, the Yankees are expected to host the Red Sox Friday after six New York players tested positive for the coronavirus. Pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr., and Wandy Peralta were known to be positive Thursday. All-Star Aaron Judge, third baseman Gio Urshela and catcher Kyle Higashioka were in the protocol at that time and have since been confirmed as positive cases. 

While the results of Friday's rapid COVID-19 tests could lead to another postponement, Olney reported at 1:04 pm ET members of the Red Sox were already on their way to the stadium. 

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said a "majority" of the six players impacted by this latest outbreak had received a COVID-19 vaccine and were asymptomatic. Meanwhile, Thursday's matchup between the clubs was the league's first coronavirus-related schedule disruption since April 19.

The Yankees head into Friday night at 46-43 and eight games back of the first-place Red Sox (55-36) in the American League East standings.

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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