Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Major League Baseball joined a long list of professional sports leagues that temporarily suspended operations to protect the health of athletes, team employees and fans.
The decision to shut down shop resulted in all remaining Spring Training games being cancelled, as well as a delay to the start of the regular season. Opening Day was initially postponed by two weeks, but it has since been pushed back until the middle of May — at the earliest — after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged against large gatherings.
While resuming play in mid-May is viewed as a best-case scenario, many expect baseball’s hiatus to continue into June and perhaps even July.