Rather than having played more than one month of the 2020 regular season by this point in the calendar, Major League Baseball continues to evaluate plans for how and when to schedule Opening Day.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has MLB in a holding pattern as state and federal health officials provide guidance and suggestions on how to proceed. What is clear is the 2020 season will begin without fans in attendance.
There also figures to be a second Spring Training that will span multiple weeks. Several Los Angeles Dodgers players have projected that to be at least three or four weeks.
According to former Minnesota Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe, MLB is planning on beginning Spring Training during the middle of June and will then open the season July 1:
Want some good baseball news??
I just heard from multiple sources that on June 10th, Spring Training 2 will start. July 1st will be Opening Day and all teams will be playing at their home ballparks.
We’ll be discussing it in full on the next @TalkinBaseball_
— Trevor Plouffe (@trevorplouffe) May 4, 2020
While Plouffe’s claims quickly gained traction and excited fans, ESPN’s Keith Law pushed back on that timeline:
There's no proposed date for the MLB season to start. That rumor running around today is false. Sorry.
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) May 4, 2020
After weeks of MLB reportedly considering plans that called for all 30 teams to play in Arizona; or playing out of Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues; or using Arizona, Florida and Texas as hubs, the preference is believed to keep clubs at their home ballparks.
Of course, that viability hinges on states loosening their stay-at-home orders and improved testing, among other factors.
While there are several challenges ahead, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, Justin Turner, commissioner Rob Manfred and others have asserted all parties involved are committed to playing a 2020 regular season.
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