A baseball game is played in an empty Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y., July 30, 2020. (AP photo)
NEW YORK - The three-game interleague series between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets that was to begin Friday has been postponed because of the coronavirus.
Two people in the Mets organization tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, prompting the Mets-Marlins game to be called off an hour before first pitch and the series opener with the Yankees to be nixed.
Then Friday afternoon, Major League Baseball said in a statement that the weekend games are on hold, too.
"Out of an abundance of caution and to allow for additional testing and contact tracing to be performed within the New York Mets' organization, the games between the Mets and New York Yankees at Citi Field on Saturday, August 22nd and Sunday, August 23rd have been postponed," MLB said in a statement.
MLB is in the midst of an unprecedented abbreviated season being played out in empty stadiums and new on- and off-field rules.
The Yankees are 16–9 and the Mets are 12–14.