MLB announces regular season will start at least two weeks late due to coronavirus
Major League Baseball is the latest sports organization to announce that it is suspending all games until further notice.
MLB team owners had a conference call with commissioner Rob Manfred on Thursday, and the decision was made to suspend the start of the regular season and cancel spring training games due to the coronavirus outbreak. The regular season will begin at least two weeks later than originally scheduled.
2020 Opening Day to be delayed by at least two weeks; Spring Training Games cancelled beginning today; and @WBCBaseball Qualifier games postponed indefinitely due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic. pic.twitter.com/yCgUHkdfpF
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) March 12, 2020
The coronavirus situation has been very fluid, so there’s a chance MLB could delay the start of the regular season even further depending upon how things go in the coming days.
The NBA suspended its season on Wednesday night after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus, and NBA games will not resume for at least another month.
Like much of the rest of the world, sports has been put on hold for the time being. March will be a very unusual month without meaningful NBA and NHL games, the start of the MLB season, and likely the NCAA Tournament, but two prominent athletes have already tested positive for coronavirus and there will likely be others. Sports can — and will have to — wait.
