For weeks, as MLB and the Players Association have battled publicly over prorated salaries and the length of the season, Giants employees have quietly insisted that the greatest threat to a season is still the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Those fears were ramped up this week.
The Giants closed their facility in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Friday after one person who had been to the facility and one family member exhibited symptoms of the coronavirus. Those two, along with others who have recently been at the facility, have been tested and are awaiting results.
The Giants closed Scottsdale Stadium in March as MLB suspended operations, but last month it opened back up to local players and staffers. There were limits put on the number of players who could be in the building at one time, and social distancing was required. At the same time, team employees began to have serious concerns about Arizona in general.
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The state reopened with few limitations, and the Phoenix area has seen a huge increase in positive tests in recent days and hospitalizations. The Giants were planning to return to San Francisco for a second spring training, in large part because they felt the city was significantly safer than Scottsdale.
Earlier Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies confirmed that five players and three staffers had tested positive for COVID-19. They closed their facility as they awaited further test results.
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