The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has temporarily suspended each of the major professional sports leagues’ respective seasons.
That includes Major League Baseball, who officially announced the stoppage of Spring Training games and a minimum two-week delay to the start of the regular season. With no specific timetable given on when play will resume, MLB first advised players to head home.
They have since informed teams group workouts are no longer permitted as “social distancing” is considered key to stopping the spread of the virus.
The Los Angeles Dodgers had previously planned on keeping Camelback Ranch open for voluntary workouts. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman noted the organization would support any decision players make with the choice of either staying in Arizona, returning to L.A. or heading home.
In comments made prior to MLB sending out their memo, agent Scott Boras said he suggest players stay at their Spring Training facilities due to the quality health care that is available, via Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
“We have an environment in spring camps that are somewhat of a clinical trial,” Boras said. “Players are evaluated daily and have immediate treatment access. This process over the month is proven effective versus the outside world as there are no reported cases [of coronavirus among major leaguers]. … The key to low probability of the virus is to be in isolated areas. But the key in treatment is early detection and treatment. And players are getting daily health care, they are getting daily diagnostics. They are in one of the best isolation situations when it comes to managing this outbreak.”
“There is an option to stay and there is an advantage to stay,” Boras said. “You stay in your playing routine. You avoid travel. And you are in a place that has shown it is managing the virus. This is not complete isolation, but this is limited isolation that has shown it is working. It has proved effective. … The secondary benefit is a performance advantage. They are going to continue working out and be more ready when ultimately the bell [for the delayed] regular season begins.”
On Sunday, a Minor League player in the New York Yankees organization was reported as testing positive for coronavirus. A second Yankees Minor Leaguer has tested positive this week.
Boras represents four Dodgers players in Cody Bellinger, Brusdar Graterol, Corey Seager and Julio Urias. In addition to L.A., many other teams have shown a willingness to remain at their respective Spring Training facility to stay in baseball shape.
Before Sunday, the Dodgers were in the process of sorting through which players were staying put at Camelback Ranch and those who wished to return to Dodger Stadium for workouts.
Friedman believed the majority of Dodgers players were going to remain in Arizona. “That’s what I would suspect a good number will do, (but) I’m not sure yet,” he said.
“We will obviously read and react. We don’t have full clarity on that yet.”
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