While MLB players would normally be in Spring Training preparing for the regular season around this time, this year players have been on their own as team owners voted to lock them out with no collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in place for the upcoming season.
For Los Angeles Dodgers ace Walker Buehler, he has historically had a slow ramp-up period during Spring Training. However, last season he found a routine that included throwing more in the offseason, which helped him prepare for the season quicker.
Now with no set time table for when the 2022 season may begin, Buehler will need to find a new routine and schedule to keep him ready and on track to pitch again.
So far, he has tried to stay ready by working out at a baseball training and development facility in Arizona, L.A. Angels slugger Jared Walsh told Sam Blum of The Athletic:
“I’m working out at a place in Phoenix called Push Performance. Walker Buehler’s in there, and he’s the Dodgers rep.”
While some have been working out on their own or with a few other players, the Players Association has also begun organizing training camps in Arizona and Florida for players.
There initially was an expectation those recovering from injury would be permitted to use team facilities, but that didn’t come to be.
Such guidelines have heavily impacted the Dodgers, who had the likes of Caleb Ferguson, Tommy Kahnle and Dustin May all going through the Tommy John rehab process. Justin Turner also has been affected, as he usually works out at Dodger Stadium during the offseason.
In January, the Players Association (MLBPA) reached an agreement with D-BAT that allowed members of the union with at least one day of service time to use their facilities for free during the lockout.
MLB cancels Opening Day and additional games
MLB announced Opening Day will not be held on March 31 and the first two series of the regular season have been canceled due to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) not being put into place by the league’s self-imposed deadline.
For the Dodgers it amounts to games against the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks getting removed from the schedule. Overall, this marks the first time regular season games have been canceled due to an MLB work stoppage since the players’ strike in 1994-95.
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