Miami Marlins went through an investigation by Major League Baseball (MLB) because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak between players. The probe found that Marlins players did not follow the coronavirus safety protocols during a trip to Atlanta.

The Marlins went to Atlanta for an exhibition game, said Scott Miller of Bleacher Report. With regard to the breach of the safety protocols, the players were said to have engaged in risky behavior such as coming together at the hotel bar and going out. 

With the lapses in these protocols and the outbreak, the league is changing its rules. 

According to CBS Sports, the MLB did not name the Marlins in its weekly testing results roundup. But it did reference the team in an obvious way. The league reported that 29 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the last week, with 21 of them coming from "a single MLB Club." The statement could not have been any other group than the Marlins, who had at least 20 positive tests, as of Friday morning.

To minimize the threats of the outbreak, the MLB had no choice, but to park the team for the week. They also isolated Philadelphia Phillies that went against the Marlins last weekend. There were several members of Phillies, who also tested positive.

Other teams have also been out for the worse as Milwaukee Brewers had to postpone their home opener against the Cardinals after two players tested positive. Apart from these, there were no other new positive tests of on-field personnel from any of the other teams after 6,400 tests were done since Friday.

"Obviously, we don't want any player to get exposed," Commissioner Rob Manfred said, noting that it was not a positive thing for the league. But he stays positive of their management on the outbreak and other issues: "We think we can keep people safe and continue to play," he said.

With these setbacks, the league will lose 20 percent of its active members due to COVID-19 complications.

News on the probe came out three days after there have been reports about the players' outing during the Atlanta exhibition game, said the NBC Washington.

Next Steps for MLB

The league has yet to decide on its future actions. But they are considering shutting down a part of the season or its entirety, depending on how things play out, Manfred said.

In an Associate Press report, he said: "You get to a certain point league-wide where it does become a health threat, and we certainly would shut down at that point."

The changes done to the coronavirus protocols were announced by the league last Wednesday night, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported. The MLB is now requiring the use of surgical masks, instead of cloth masks, when travelling. They are also requiring every team to travel with a compliance officer. The officer's job is to make sure that every player and staff member is properly following the protocols set by the league.

Without the test results pending next week, the Marlins are still temporarily on hold from playing. If the league does not have a bubble to ensure the whereabouts of its players, they will only rely heavily on the compliance of its players.

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