Major League Baseball suspended the start of its 2020 season on Thursday out of precaution for the coronavirus. While the league announced an initial two-week suspension, baseball fans reportedly won’t see the MLB season return until May at the earliest.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, many executives and players around the league believe the MLB season won’t resume until May at the earliest. The league plans to re-evaluate its plans after two weeks. However, the uncertainty of the increasing spread of COVID-19 will likely result in the game being suspended for at least another month.
The 2020 season was set to begin with Opening Day on March 26, but all 30 teams and league officials agreed to postpone the start of the season during a conference call on Thursday. The move came in a 24-hour span when the XFL, NBA and NHL suspending operations and March Madness was canceled.
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MLB is taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of its fans, personnel and players. After seeing what happened in the NBA when two players tested positive for the coronavirus and multiple teams needed to be tested, MLB took the action that would help it avoid undergoing the same problem with far larger rosters.
Even when the pandemic within the United States ends, MLB teams will still need time to get their players ready to compete for a regular season. Specifically, starting pitchers will need a few weeks to get stretched out so they can throw six-plus innings.
Every pro sports league is in unprecedented territory due to the coronavirus. Whenever MLB decides to return, the league will have a plan for its new shortened season. Fortunately, baseball fans should still get to see their favorite sport this year and the layoff will make everyone appreciate it even more.