While Major League Baseball has been shut down for two months due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, talks of a return have started heating up.
It was recently reported MLB owners agreed upon a proposal for the 2020 regular season that is being presented to the players. While it is unlikely that the MLB Players Association accepts the first pitch, dialogue between the two sides has begun and the hope is that Opening Day can take place as soon as the beginning of July.
If that is the case then players would likely need at least three weeks of Spring Training to get prepared for the season. While there still are a lot of factors at play, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is not concerned about his players being ready whenever it is time to return to the field.
“I kind of look at this situation as an opportunity. I think that I can speak for the players, where you have family but you understand this situation calls for us to make sacrifices to be here for our fans and each other,” Roberts said in the latest Dodgers Zoom Party.
“I get asked that question all the time: ‘What are they up to? Are you concerned if Mookie is going to be ready? Is J.T. going to be ready? Will Walker be fine?’
“For me, I just really don’t spend much time thinking about these guys because I trust them. They know what’s at stake individually and collectively. So I’m just trying to temper my angst. I can’t wait to get going. I still have my fingers crossed that we get this thing done.”
The first and foremost matter at hand is MLB must find a way to make it safe for players to play before there can be any agreement on a return.
If they get that figured out, then they can begin to talk logistics such as how long the season will be, where games will be played, etc. The latest reports indicate that there could potentially be an 80-game regular season with teams playing at their home stadiums, although that is just one of many reports that have come out in recent weeks.
Regardless, Roberts and the Dodgers will be ready for whatever comes their way in 2020 in their quest to return to and win the World Series.
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