Like many other sports, the 2020 Major League Baseball season is currently on hold due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that is sweeping the world.
This stoppage is obviously not ideal for any team, but especially the Los Angeles Dodgers, who acquired a superstar in his final year of club control in Mookie Betts just before the start of Spring Training.
While the season will resume at some point, there’s a good chance it will be shortened, meaning the Dodgers won’t be getting a full 162 games out of Betts before he tests free agency.
If there is one positive to take away from this stoppage, it’s that the Dodgers now have more time to finish their renovations of Dodger Stadium, which was not expected to be fully completed by Opening Day.
The Dodgers had previously stated construction was ongoing despite the coronavirus outbreak. Team president and CEO Stan Kasten recently reiterated that notion, even if the project is being completed under different circumstances, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“All of the different contractors are observing all of the CDC requirements. So work is continuing,” Kasten said, adding that recent rains and restrictions on the size of work crews and social distancing recommendations have work proceeding at “a different pace.”
“We always thought it would be ready when we had a game to play,” he said. “We still believe that. It’ll be ready when we play again.”
The main reason the renovations are taking place this year was because the Dodgers are hosting the 2020 MLB All-Star Game. While the league is hoping that the game will still take place at some point, there have also been talks about doing away with the Midsummer Classic this year to allow for more regular-season games when they are able to start playing.
While that would be unfortunate, it may be the best course of action to get in as many games as possible. The 2021 All-Star Game is set to take place in Atlanta, but no one has been awarded the 2022 game, so that could end up being in L.A. if 2020 is cancelled.
It also is unclear what impact, if any, Los Angeles being placed under a ‘Safer at Home’ order will have on Dodger Stadium construction.
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