With no fans allowed in stadiums this season — at least for the time being — due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, various teams across the league are putting cardboard cutouts of fans in the seats to make home games look occupied.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are among those participating, with fans able to purchase cardboard cutouts on the team’s website with the proceeds going to the team’s official foundation.
Aside from cameras panning to show them in the stands, the cutouts saw their first action in Saturday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants. With the Dodgers trailing 5-3 in the ninth inning, Will Smith lined a solo home run to left field, which hit off the head of a fan cutout and snapped it at the neck.