Dr. Anthony Fauci uses a Washington Nationals face mask as he prepares to testify prior to a Senate committee on Capitol Hill, June 30, 2020.
The Washington Nationals said Monday that Dr. Anthony Fauci– the countrys leading transmittable illness professional and self-described fan of the ruling World Series champs– will throw away the Opening Day pitch when the group hosts the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
” Dr. Fauci has been a true champ for our country during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout his prominent profession, so it is just fitting that we honor him as we start the 2020 season and protect our World Series Championship title,” the Nationals tweeted.
The Major League Baseball season has been long delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The leagues spring training was shelved in March because of the outbreak, but groups resumed their preparations this month. The Nationals-Yankees match will begin Thursday at 7:08 p.m. ET.
There will be no fans at Opening Day at Nationals Park and it will be followed by a video game between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, according to CBS Sports. The MLB season has been reduced to 60 games.
Fauci, who has been a leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, was found in June wearing a Nationals-themed face mask during testimony on Capitol Hill.
KEVIN DIETSCH/AFP through Getty Images