Cubs, Cardinals Friday game postponed due to another positive COVID-19 test

The Cubs were going to open a three-game series at the home of their biggest rival, the Cardinals, Friday night.

Earlier Friday, two Cardinals beat writers tweeted that “per sources,” tonight’s game has been postponed.

Major League Baseball issued a press release confirming the postponement:

Following an additional positive test for COVID-19 by a St. Louis Cardinals player, tonight’s scheduled game between the Cardinals and Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium has been postponed to allow for additional testing and to complete the contact tracing process. Major League Baseball will continue to provide updates as they become available.

This is the first Cubs game of 2020 that’s been postponed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic (they also had a postponement due to rain in Cincinnati July 30 that will be made up August 29), and at this writing it’s not clear whether the Cubs and Cardinals will play a doubleheader tomorrow, or whether it’s possible the entire series might have to be postponed.

The Cubs are not scheduled to return to St. Louis in 2020 after this weekend. Thus, if they can’t play in St. Louis this weekend, the games would likely be scheduled to be made up at Wrigley Field, with the Cardinals as the “home” team for one or more games. The Cardinals’ first trip to Wrigley is scheduled for August 17-18-19.

As always, we await developments. The usual series preview that runs on the day of the first game of a series has been delayed until we know if or when these games will be played.