Bad news came out from the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. According to the Athletics, one member of the organization tested positive for COVID-19. The Athletics finished playing a doubleheader on Saturday in Minute Maid Park, with both teams deciding not to play on Friday (following current events). MLB postponed Sunday’s Athletics and Astros game following the test result. The club did not release the name of the individual who tested positive nor their occupation with Oakland. The Athletics used the visiting clubhouse at Globe Life Field earlier this week while the Los Angeles Dodgers used it this weekend.

First game in 2020 out of the west to be PPD due to COVID.

Curious to see what happens with the #Rangers heading to Houston after today's game. https://t.co/jrvdXob1yO

— Alex Plinck🏳️‍🌈 (@aplinckTX) August 30, 2020

Sunday’s postponed game between Oakland and Houston is the first time in 2020 that two teams out of the west have been affected by COIVD-related events. The Athletics are currently self-isolating, but the Rangers’ next scheduled game is a game at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday against the Astros. With the off-day on Monday, the club wouldn’t even head to Houston until Monday (under normal 2020 pandemic circumstances). However, the question stands on if this is an outbreak from the A’s organization or only one individual. With Sunday’s postponement, there are two days to thoroughly clean and sanitize the visiting clubhouse. Even before the test results, the Athletics and Rangers would use different hotels and busses. Therefore, the only thing both teams share is the clubhouse itself.

Major League Baseball will continue further testing, I assume, with both the Athletics and Astros. If the Astros come back clean with testing from the Rangers side, then all systems are a go with the three-game series at Minute Maid Park. However, if there’s a positive test within the Astros organization, then situations become more complex, and series postponement could occur. “It’s definitely on our radar,” Manager Chris Woodward said before Sunday’s game. “As of right now, all systems are kind of go, but we’re kind of prepared. The good thing is we have an off day, and we weren’t going to leave until tomorrow anyway, so we have a little bit of time to sort through it and talk with MLB and see what the latest is.”

#Athletics GM David Forst said the A's were informed at 10 p.m. Saturday night of the positive COVID-19 test. The test had been administered on Friday. A full round of testing took place this morning in Houston. The results should be known by Monday.

— John Hickey (@JHickey3) August 30, 2020

There’s another situation that could float (and it’s an ironic one). There’s a possibility, and a slight one, that the teams could trade series. Meaning Houston could visit Globe Life Field this week, and the Rangers would finish the series at Minute Maid Park. The league could schedule a doubleheader on Wednesday to make up a four-game series at Globe Life Field, or play the extra game in Houston designating the Rangers as the home team.

There’s uncertainty with the situation in Houston right now. The Astros had gone through a wonkiness in their schedule preparing for Hurricane Laura when the Angels came to town last week, following Houston and Oakland not playing Saturday, and now with the Athletics’ COVID situation forcing Sunday’s postponement. If there’s anything 2020 taught us, it’s preparation as Woody said Sunday. “Hopefully, there’s no issue, but we’re prepared to handle any issue going forward.”

If the Astros-A's game postponed from Sunday gets moved to next week in Oakland, that becomes a five-game series. That would almost ensure Mike Fiers pitches against the Astros, right?

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 30, 2020