Major League Baseball has pushed opening day to mid-May at the earliest.
The news comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended restricting gatherings of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks, according to a report published by the Associated Press.
BREAKING: Major League Baseball pushes back opening day to mid-May at earliest.
Full AP MLB coverage >> https://t.co/WNszBsMPsl
— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) March 16, 2020
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement after a discussion with executives from each of the 30 teams.
“The clubs remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins,” the commissioner’s office said in a statement. (RELATED: MLB Reportedly Expected To Suspend Operations Over Coronavirus)
MLB had previously canceled the rest of spring training and postponed opening day, which was originally scheduled for March 26, for two weeks. The 2020 season marked one of the earliest opening day schedules. Game seven of the World Series was set to be Oct. 28. The post season could now extend into November.
The MLB has not had a mass postponement of opening days since the 7 1/2-month players’ strike in 1995, the AP reported.
The United States has had 3,927 people test positive for COVID-19 and seen 68 patient deaths. The CDC suggested restricting groups of people to less than 50 on Sunday. Many states have shut down restaurants, bars and movie theaters including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.