The remainder of Major League Baseball‘s Spring Training schedule has been cancelled along with the start of the regular season being pushed back at least two weeks thanks to the spread of COVID-19.
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And now, it looks as though the start of regular season play could be pushed back even further.
According to USA Today Sports, two MLB executives (speaking under the condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to yet publicly speak of the issue) said that the start of regular season play could be pushed back to Memorial Day, or perhaps even longer than that.
Opening Day was scheduled for April 9, but with each passing day, it becomes more and more clear that even if baseball were to eventually start up, a normal 162-game schedule isn’t an option.
MLB released the following memo:
“The strong recommendation from our infectious disease and public health experts is that clubs should avoid all activities in which players congregate in significant numbers or are otherwise unable to practice the ‘social distancing’ protocols recommended by the CDC.
“The risk of a player in a club facility contracting the virus is real, and we must implement protocols to protect the safety and well-being of our players and staff members. In addition, we must recognize that there is the potential for further federal and state restrictions that will impact our operations, including restrictions on travel.”
– – Quotes via USA Today Link – –
