Nats reportedly have no new COVID cases, hope to play Monday

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Nationals reportedly have no new COVID-19 cases, hoping to host Braves Monday

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 4/3/21

The Washington Nationals were scheduled to take on the New York Mets on Thursday for Opening Day, but the club's COVID-19 issues prevented that from happening.

Now the Nats are hoping to get their season underway on Monday against the Atlanta Braves. According to The Athletic's Britt Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal, Washington has returned no new positive COVID-19 tests, which is a good sign entering next week.

The #Nationals do not have any new positive COVID-19 cases from their latest round of testing, sources tell @Ken_Rosenthal and me.

The hope is they are cleared to work out at Nats Park this weekend before hosting the Braves.
— Britt Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) April 3, 2021

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, nine Nationals players have tested positive for the coronavirus, and those players will not be available if Washington is able to host Atlanta on Monday.

Those who test positive for COVID-19 must quarantine for at least 10 days under MLB's protocols, and those who are deemed close contacts must quarantine for one week.

It's unclear which players have tested positive for the virus, but the Nationals will be shorthanded if they begin the season on Monday against the Braves.

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