Update: The Nationals’ Monday game against the Atlanta Braves has been postponed, and the team will now open its 2021 season on Tuesday afternoon, according to statement from the MLB. 

After four players tested positive for COVID-19 late last week, delaying the opening series against the Mets, another round of testing showed all negative results over the weekend, according to the MLB. Seven players and two staff members are in quarantine following contact tracing.

The MLB did not disclose the names of the players who tested positive, but Nats General Manager Mike Rizzo said “the majority” were on the Nats’ 26-man roster and “several” were not.

Rizzo added that those who tested positive are “feeling much, much better.” The team will practice on Monday ahead of Opening Day on Tuesday.

Update April 2: 

The Nationals announced in a statement Friday that the MLB has postponed the entire Nats-Mets series to allow for further COVID-19 testing and contact tracing of players and members of the Nats organization.

Three players for the Nats have tested positive so far, and results from Thursday’s PCR tests are expected to come back Friday afternoon, according to the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty. The organization has not revealed any names of the players involved and says it will provide scheduling updates as they become available.

Original:

The Washington Nationals’ Opening Day game against the New York Mets was postponed hours before it was scheduled to begin because of COVID-19 concerns.

The game, which was scheduled to start shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday, was postponed a day after the Nationals announced one of its players tested positive for COVID-19, according to MLB.com. General Manager Mike Rizzo told multiple outlets Thursday night two more players tested positive.

In a statement on Thursday, the Nationals said the game was postponed because the organization is still conducting contact tracing to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus.

The Nationals did not identify the players who tested positive.

A spokesperson for the Nationals did not respond to a request seeking comment Thursday.

The team said it will not hold a game Friday to make up for the postponement. The matchup between the Mets and Nationals scheduled for Friday is also postponed, according to Buster Olney, an ESPN reporter.

Mike Rizzo, the team’s general manager, told MLB.com that players were tested for the virus yesterday afternoon. The tests were previously planned. 

This story was updated to include new information about additional players testing positive.