Guardians hit with COVID-19 outbreak, manager Francona out

CHICAGO (AP) — The Cleveland Guardians are dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that has sidelined manager Terry Francona and several of the team’s coaches, leading to the postponement of their series finale against the Chicago White Sox. Shortly after Francona’s positive test became known, Major League Baseball called off the game at Chicago to allow for more testing and contact tracing. It was the first coronavirus-related postponement in the league so far this season. Guardians bench coach DeMarlo Hale, who was slotted to fill in for Francona, also tested positive, and Cleveland has other coaches support staff members infected with the virus. At this point, it’s unclear who will manage the Guardians when they open a three-game series in Minnesota on Friday.