St. Louis Cardinals executive says there’s no proof players went to a casino prior to outbreak

After Major League Baseball announced 13 members of the St. Louis Cardinals organization tested positive for Covid-19, an executive batted down rumors that players went to a casino before the outbreak.

John Mozeliak, the St. Louis Cardinals’ president of baseball operations, told reporters there is no proof that anyone went to a casino.

“I have no factual reason to believe that is true, and I have not seen any proof of that,” Mozeliak said. “If someone was at a casino, though, that would be disappointing.”

The team has been in quarantine in Milwaukee since Thursday and seven players and six staff members have since tested positive. They will remain in Milwaukee and will continue to be tested daily.

As a result of the positive tests, the Cardinals’ four-game series against the Detroit Tigers, set for Tuesday to Thursday, has been postponed.

There is a tentative plan in place for the team to resume its regular schedule on Friday against the Chicago Cubs in St. Louis.

This latest outbreak comes as the MLB attempts to hold the season despite positive cases being identified in players on multiple teams.

Last week, 21 players and staff on the Miami Marlins tested positive, which resulted in their season being put on hold.

As outbreaks among various teams continue, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred warned union leader Tony Clark during a Friday call that if the league and players don’t do a better job of following Covid-19 protocols and managing the virus, Manfred could shut down the shortened season, ESPN reported.