Report: Blue Jays will not play first home game in Buffalo until August 11

The Toronto Blue Jays know where they’ll ultimately be playing their home games in 2020, but it’ll be a little while before they can actually play there.

According to Hazel Mae of Sportsnet, the Blue Jays will play their first two home series of 2020 on the road in Washington and Philadelphia against the Nationals and Phillies, respectively. Sahlen Field in Buffalo needs more time to sufficiently upgrade the infrastructure for MLB games, and the Blue Jays are expected to make their debut there on Aug. 11 against the Miami Marlins.

BREAKING: The #BlueJays will play their "home" series vs. #Phillies on the road, beginning July 31st.
The first home game in Buffalo will be August 11th vs MIA, to accommodate for infrastructure upgrades to Sahlen Field, per industry source.

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) July 26, 2020

Buffalo was not the team’s first choice after the Jays were barred from playing in Toronto, but it quickly became the only feasible option. Adding better lighting is a main priority of the infrastructure upgrades, and the stadium also needs MLB-ready replay on site.

Having to play the first two “home” series on the road shouldn’t be a massive deal, as travel is more limited this season. It does mean that the team will play nearly three full weeks of games before getting the chance to play in their temporary home ballpark, though.