By Morris Phillips

The finale of the A’s-Astros series at Minute Maid Park was cancelled when a member of the Oakland traveling party tested positive for the Coronavirus.

The A’s are quarantined in a Houston hotel where they will remain until Monday when the group will be subjected to a follow up round of tests to determine the full scope of the outbreak. The A’s were scheduled to fly to Seattle and resume their road trip against the Mariners on Tuesday.

Already on this road trip, the A’s have missed a game against the Rangers in protest of the Jacob Blake shooting, and cancelled a second contest that was scheduled for Friday night in Houston. That game was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader Saturday, where both games shortened to seven innings went to the Astros.

No information was released linking the positive test to a player, coach or another, non-uniformed member of the A’s traveling party.

The Astros were last tested on Friday, with all of the results negative. The team conducted a round of tests Sunday morning, the results of which were not available at press time. The Astros are hopeful of resuming their schedule on Tuesday with a home series against the Rangers. The team announced that the clubhouse occupied by the A’s, and designated for the Rangers, will undergo a rigorous cleaning above normal protocols.

The A’s-Astros cancellation is the 38th of the pandemic-truncated 2020 season and the first to affect AL West or NL West clubs. Saturday marked the first time all 30 MLB teams had played on the same day since July 26. Five Oakland-Houston matchups remain with the Astros visiting the Coliseum next week, providing an opportunity to reschedule Sunday’s game.

The A’s are 22-12 on the season, and maintain a 2 1/2 game lead on the Astros.