As the wait for the 2020 season continues, Major League Baseball has been evaluating its options over the past week to accelerate the process. A couple of scenarios were made public — both of which would see teams resume play in a centralized location.
One plan calls for all 30 clubs to begin the year in Arizona, where games would be played at Chase Field and upwards of 10 Spring Training facilities without fans in attendance.
The idea has been backed by federal health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, who believes it is the only viable path for baseball returning in the immediate future due to concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Not every MLB player is onboard with the proposal, however, including Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who cited the difficulties of leaving his family for potentially four months as a result of the requirement to self-quarantine in between games.
Kenley Jansen offered a different perspective during a recent appearance on “Dodger Talk” on AM 570 L.A. Sports, opining that players must make sacrifices in order for the sport to return as soon as possible:
“Man, I’m thankful and grateful to just be in the Major Leagues. And I’m even more grateful to wear a Dodgers uniform. We don’t know how long we’re going to play this game for. Any time I can put that uniform on and play with empty seats or whatever they want to do, if it has to be all in Arizona and fans watch us on TV, I’m grateful and thankful for that. Listen, man, we’ve got to do something. I feel like everybody has got to compromise in this crisis right now.
“I think it’s a very, very, very great thing for baseball if we do something and play. If doctors and everyone can keep us healthy, make sure we get proper tests and we stay healthy, why not? I think it would be a great thing for baseball, especially since it has been losing interest lately. I think this would help baseball tremendously if we can pull this off.”
Jansen’s comments differ from Kershaw and are more on par with Alex Wood’s, who previously revealed he would be open to any plan MLB might present to carry forward with the 2020 season.
However, it is clear that the league still has some work to do in order to convince other players. Either way, a solution on how MLB will proceed with potentially beginning the campaign is not believed to be close.
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