Chicago White Sox game against Cleveland postponed due to COVID among Guardians

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago White Sox game against the Cleveland Guardians Wednesday afternoon was postponed due to COVID cases among the Guardians.

Disappointed Sox fans left Guaranteed Rate Field after COVID forced a last-minute cancellation of the final game in a three-game series.

Several fans had already made their way to their seats when the announcement was made.

"They announced it throughout the stadium, they put it up on the big board," fan Joe Carbonara said.

"She was having a great time, she got her Dippin' Dots, she was ready to go," fan Ozzie Rivero said. "Then they made the announcement."

"I feel like they could have alerted us a little bit earlier, so we could know about this," fan Cassidy Winston said.

The first Major League Baseball game of the season to be postponed due to COVID followed a positive test from Guardians manager Terry Francona and several others in the Cleveland organization.

Francona was in the dugout Tuesday night when the Sox beat the Guardians.

Cancellations and rising case numbers do not come as a shock to doctors ever since mandates were lifted.

"If people are trying to live life the way it was pre- COVID, I'm not surprised numbers are going up," said Dr. Shikha Jain, UI Health, "and they will continue to go up and we will see problems with our workforce."

But, many Sox fans are not ready to return to mask mandates.

"No, because it was the Guardians that fell to us this time," Carbonara said. "We are apparently doing the right things here, Cleveland better check their mask mandates."

And with COVID still circulating, doctors said Wednesday's game may be the first, but likely not the last to be canceled this season. MLB has yet to set a date for the game to be rescheduled.