As MLB players wrestle with the decision whether to opt out of the 2020 season or not, one player has done the opposite and chosen to opt in.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis, who had previously made the decision to opt out of the season, has changed his mind and informed the team that he will return for the rest of the year.
BREAKING NEWS: Nick Markakis is rejoining the #Braves, having changed his mind since opting out of the season just over three weeks ago. Veteran outfielder is being reinstated from the restricted list.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 29, 2020
According to David O’Brien and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Markakis made the decision after watching the Braves go 2-3 on their season-opening road trip. That made the outfielder feel like he was letting his teammates down by not playing, and inspired him to reverse his decision.
Markakis opted out at the start of the month, citing Freddie Freeman’s battle with COVID-19 and the absence of fans as reasons for his decision. He becomes the first MLB player who had previously opted out of the season to change his mind and decide to play.
The 36-year-old veteran played in 116 games for Atlanta in 2019, hitting .285 with nine home runs and 62 RBI.
