Insider Jeff Passan Explains MLB Expects to Resume Games in May at the Earliest
By Jerry Trotta
Amid the bombshell postponements and cancellations of numerous sports leagues which have unfolded across the past 48 hours, MLB announced on Thursday that it would be suspending Spring Training and delaying Opening Day for a minimum of two weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak, keeping the players in Florida and Arizona for team workouts.
Since that news was confirmed, fans have been clamoring for the league to provide a realistic timetable of when it expects play to resume. According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, who joined "Get Up" on Friday morning, it would be surprising to those involved if baseball returned before May.
Joined @GetUpESPN this morning to talk about how the distinct expectation among those in baseball — owners, players, executives, nearly everyone — is that the earliest we’re likely to see games again is May. pic.twitter.com/S4bUktlFt5
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 13, 2020
You just had to see this coming.
The MLB tabbed April 9 as the earliest potential date of play, but Passan notes that all of the sources he's spoken with -- which includes players, executives, officials, and union members -- believe that returning by then isn't in the realm of possibility.
Statement from Major League Baseball: pic.twitter.com/0bWS5VTRPu
— MLB (@MLB) March 12, 2020
There's just no way to know what the COVID-19 outbreak will look like two weeks from now. Passan's assessment of the feeling around MLB suggests that it would behoove fans to prepare to go without baseball until May, at the absolute earliest.