Thanks to the spread of COVID-19, Major League Baseball has cancelled Spring Training and initially pushed back the start of their season at least two weeks.
Now, it looks as though that date has been pushed back even further. The League released a statement today saying that they’d be complying with the CDC’s recommendations to postpone events of 50 people or more by at least eight weeks, meaning we may not see baseball until mid-May at the earliest.
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Matthew Boyd , who was Detroit’s representative on the League’s conference call earlier today, was candid in giving his thoughts on the situation:
“What’s going on is truly unprecedented,” Boyd said. “So with that, you have to adapt.”
All non-roster players were mandated to leave Monday, with some leaving to go home and others to return to the Motor City and work out at Comerica Park.
“There is a level of uncertainty,” Boyd continued. “Just because no one really knows what’s going to happen. We’re in the same boat as the rest of the country. …
“I know a lot of guys are heading home, or heading to Detroit. There are also a lot of guys staying here. It’s kind of all over the place in terms of what guys are wanting to do. Today, we recommended just doing what’s best for guys and their families and stay ready for when the bell does ring.”
Of course, Boyd also couldn’t help but feel for minor league players as well as stadium employees who are being affected by the outbreak of the illness and the steps being implemented to curb the spread.
“This is going to be really hard. I know there’s guys on the big league side that don’t have a lot of big league time,” he said. “These are guys that have obviously made more money than Minor Leaguers, and they’re looking for jobs right now. I think that speaks to some of the hardships that guys or young families do face when paychecks stop rolling in. …
“And it’s not just us. It’s people at the stadiums, people all around the game. Everybody is affected by this.”
– – Quotes via Jason Beck of MLB.comLink – –
