Wire Taps: Washington Nationals react to Miami Marlins’ COVID-19 outbreak + Nats drop opener to Blue Jays + more...

Davey Martinez has a lot on his plate. He also has concerns after a health scare last season now that there’s a pandemic continuing to spread around the country that’s hit home and on Monday went national with the Miami Marlins’ outbreak leading to serious questions for all of baseball. Luckily for the Nationals’ skipper, there is an escape.

Asked how he’s dealing with it all, and how long the days seem right now, Martinez said that once the game starts, he can at least focus on that for a while.

“Honestly, once the game starts, you get so involved in the game, you kind of forget about everything,” he explained, “and then all of a sudden the game’s over, and you sit in the office, and like I said, a lot of times I don’t fall asleep till 2:00, 3:00 in the morning, just wondering what’s going to happen the next day. That’s kind of where we’re at. But it gives me an opportunity to watch the replays of the games again, I guess.

“But like I told the guys, ‘We just gotta focus on coming here every day and playing baseball.’ That’s the key, and hopefully everybody stays healthy and safe.”

We hope you stay healthy and safe too. Now, go read your links...

NATS BEAT:

COVID-19 SECTION:

Juan Soto tests negative for COVID-19, needs one more before MLB return - (NBC Sports Washington)
"'We got one test result back today and he tested negative,' Martinez said in a Zoom press conference Monday. 'We’re waiting on another so we’ll see what happens.'"

What’s the threshold of coronavirus cases for the MLB season to stop? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Hanging over the MLB season before it began and once it did was one powerful question: What was the threshold for stopping it?"

Martinez on Marlins' coronavirus outbreak: "I'm scared" - (MASN)
"Nationals manager Davey Martinez got emotional at the end of his pregame video call today, and said he was worried about himself and his players..."

Davey Martinez’s concern level rises from ‘about an 8 to a 12’ after Marlins’ outbreak - (NBC Sports Washington)
“Davey Martinez watched the red flags pop up Monday in the form of text alerts. His phone was filled with messages when he opened his eyes.”

David Martinez, Washington Nationals COVID-19 MLB - (wusa9.com)
“Nationals Manager Davey Martinez didn’t mince words Monday in a news conference...”

Baseball players express fear in wake of Marlins’ coronavirus outbreak - (WaPost)
“‘My level of concern went from about an eight to a 12,’” said Washington Nationals Manager Dave Martinez, whose team will host the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.”

LAST NIGHT’S GAME + MORE:

Sánchez yields 4 HRs, focused on next start - (MLB.com)
"The tone of Sánchez’s 317th career regular-season start was set when he allowed a homer to Hernández in the first at-bat of the game on Monday night."

Blue Jays' blasts beat Nationals' bloops and blunders (updated) - (MASN)
"A flurry of singles and well-struck balls should have portended a good night at the plate for the Nationals. It didn’t."

Nationals can't convert in loss to Blue Jays - (Washington Times)
"If there was a day that highlighted the challenges of playing baseball in the middle of a pandemic, it was Monday."

Notes: Harrison signs; Soto, Stras updates - (MLB.com)
"Josh Harrison nearly had completed the eight-hour drive from Philadelphia to Cincinnati when he got the call."

Aggressive Blue Jays hit four homers off Sánchez in 4-1 setback - (MASN)
"Setting the tone on the game’s second pitch, Teoscar Hernández led off with a solo homer to right-center field to give Toronto a 1-0 advantage."

Nationals Catcher Suspended After Positive Drug Test - (DCist)
"Washington Nationals catcher Tres Barrera is suing Major League Baseball over the league’s decision to suspend him for 80 games."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

Miami Marlins A Warning Sign For Baseball - (Forbes)
"It took just the first weekend for baseball’s experiment with getting a 2020 season played to face its first major test."

Dave Martinez worried about coronavirus outbreak: I'm scared - (Yahoo!Sports)
"Martinez — who underwent a heart procedure in September — said he was 'scared' upon finding out multiple players with the Marlins tested positive."

Rob Manfred says Marlins' outbreak not a 'nightmare' scenario - (ESPN)
"Commissioner Rob Manfred said he believes that MLB's health protocols are working, despite an outbreak of COVID-19 among one of the teams, the Miami Marlins."

Bowden: MLB’s opening weekend — the good, the bad and the ugly – (The Athletic)
"First, the ugly: We saw several players with COVID-19 positive tests, forcing teams to take them out of their starting lineups on the day of the game."

‘Probably shouldn’t have played yesterday’: MLB worries after Marlins outbreak – (The Athletic)
"The reactions ran the gamut from the far-ranging — How did the virus spread? Were the protocols followed closely enough? Will baseball in 2020 survive this? — to the intensely personal."

Kingwood alum Kyle Finnegan makes MLB debut with Washington Nationals against Yankees - (HoustonChronicle.com)
"Former Kingwood standout Kyle Finnegan has made it to The Show."

‘This is way more than a wake-up call’: Where MLB goes from here – (The Athletic)
"Early Monday afternoon, a manager whose team was scheduled to play one of 12 games later that day texted a friend."

NL EAST UPDATES:

Members Of Philadelphia Phillies Reportedly Being Tested For COVID-19 Following Weekend Series With Marlins – (CBS Philly)
"The Philadelphia Phillies have yet to address the situation publicly after more than a dozen Miami Marlins members tested positive for COVID-19 during a weekend set at Citizens Bank Park."

Mets' bats erupt behind Michael Wacha to take down Red Sox - (NY Post)
"The new scenery, coupled with the underbelly of this Red Sox rotation, maybe helped offer reassurance for a night."

Marlins postpone 2020 home opener vs. Orioles - (MLB.com)
"After a successful Spring 2.0, we have now experienced challenges once we went on the road and left Miami." - Derek Jeter

Atlanta Braves designate Mike Foltynewicz for assignment after rough start - (ESPN)
"The Atlanta Braves designated pitcher Mike Foltynewicz for assignment on Monday night after he gave up six runs in 3 1/3 innings in a 14-5 loss at the Tampa Bay Rays."