MLB Officially Pushes Back Start of Season, May 10 Looks Like Earliest Date
Since we’ve written too much about this already (see here and here for more), we’ll just dispense with any lengthy preamble and get right to it. Per a statement released Monday, MLB plans to follow the CDC’s recommendation to restrict events of 50-plus people for the next eight weeks. That would mean starting the season back up on May 10 at the earliest.
On Monday, Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. conducted a conference call with the 30 Clubs of Major League Baseball. Following last night’s newly updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) restricting events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks, the opening of the 2020 regular season will be pushed back in accordance with that guidance.
MLB will keep fans updated on decisions regarding plans for the 2020 schedule in the days and weeks ahead. The Clubs remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins. We will continue to monitor ongoing events and undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts, and urge all baseball fans to follow suit. MLB extends its best wishes to all the individuals and communities who have been impacted by the coronavirus.
No further details have been made public, mainly because the league and players union still have a lot of things to hash out. The start of the season, length of the schedule — including the possibility of playing just 81 games — and how to handle spring training are just a few of the top-line concerns. Then you factor in various nuances of the CBA and player incentives that will be impacted, along with the potential for an unbalanced calendar and travel issues. Yeesh
As always, we’ll keep bringing you updates as they become available.