Major League Baseball came to a halt in the middle of March when remaining Spring Training games were cancelled and the start of the 2020 regular season was delayed a minimum of two weeks.
Opening Day was then pushed back a second time, and when play will resume remains unclear. First will need to come a second Spring Training, which some Los Angeles Dodgers have projected would need to be at least two or three weeks.
During the layoff players have relied on home workouts and in some cases benefitted from having access to a gym. And in the Dodgers’ case, they have recently taken to hosting a weekly Zoom party with players, broadcasters, celebrities and franchise legends.
During their latest hour-long event, Justin Turner addressed the wait for the season to begin and assured fans all parties involved are exploring every possibility:
“This is tough for everyone. But I think this is really cool to come on here. This is my second one, getting to interact and kind of talk with the fans. I know it’s not baseball, but it’s something. I know that both sides are extremely eager to figure out a way to get a season in.
“We’re doing everything that we can, turning every leaf to try to make that possible. Of course, it has to be safe enough for us to go forward. We’re missing the game just like you guys. Hopefully we’ll be back out there soon.”
The assurance from Turner was previously shared by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and manager Dave Roberts, among others.
Amid the various proposals MLB is said to have discussed, it’s believed their preference is to have as many teams as possible play in their regular ballparks. That of course is largely dependent on access to rapid testing and directives from public health officials for each individual state.
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