Jul 5, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, United States; A general view is seen during a sim game at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Both of Chicago’s major league teams will see fan capacity slightly increase in advance of next week’s start to the season, although one will not move to the maximum allowed just yet.
After Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Thursday that major outdoor venues could increase capacity to 25 percent, from the previously announced 20 percent, the White Sox said they will split the difference and go to 22 percent, multiple outlets reported.
There was no early indication if the Cubs will move to 25 percent or stay at a smaller capacity.
Crowd restrictions are in place because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. MLB teams were not allowed to have fans in the stands for the truncated 60-game 2020 season, although a limited number of fans were permitted for neutral-site playoff games at Arlington, Texas.
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Both the White Sox and Cubs have a slightly more than 40,000 capacity at Guaranteed Rate Field and Wrigley Field, respectively. At 22 percent of capacity, the White Sox would be able to open the season at just shy of 9,000 fans per home game.
The Cubs are scheduled to open their home schedule April 1 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the White Sox are scheduled to play their first home game April 8 against the Kansas City Royals.
–Field Level Media