With Major League Baseball suspending Spring Training operations in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, players were advised to head home but presented with three options.
They could remain in the city of their Spring Training facility and continue to use weight rooms, head to location of their team’s home city, or fly to their offseason home. The Los Angeles Dodgers had previously outlined plans to keep Camelback Ranch open.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Friday the team was still speaking with players to determine who was going to remain in Arizona, and who planned to make their way to Los Angeles to utilize Dodger Stadium.
Matt Beaty is among the Dodgers who will remain at Camelback Ranch — at least for the time being — his wife Jesica wrote on her Dreams and Seams blog:
What we know as of now is we’re going to be staying in Arizona. Matt will still be going to Camelback Ranch to workout everyday. This could change, but for us, it just makes sense to stay in Arizona.
We still have our place in Arizona until the end of the month at least so that makes the most sense for us as of now. Anything really past March 25 we’re not sure what is going to be going on/where we will be. Hopefully by Sunday the guys will know more/what the next month looks like/timetable.
Beaty appeared in 11 Cactus League games but only had four hits in 21 at-bats. He nonetheless did have one triple, one home run, five RBI and four walks.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently acknowledged Beaty was likely to make the team’s Opening Day roster. He considered Beaty a primary option to back up Justin Turner at third base.
It’s unclear who will join Beaty in remaining at Camelback Ranch, but it stands to reason most the roster favors doing so. “Our guys are pretty adamant about wanting to stick around, because it is only two weeks,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers nevertheless are supportive of any decision each individual player makes. “I think right now the health and well being of everybody and their families — some guys have their families here and are going to want to stay,” Friedman said.
“Others are going to want to go home, some are going to want to go to L.A. From our standpoint, it’s about facilitating whatever our guys choose to do and support them the best that we can as we continue to learn more.
“My mindset right now is to be here for a little while. I guess I also will read and react based on what’s going on. But I’m of the mindset of being here for as far as I can see out.”
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