Major League Baseball informed teams on Tuesday that the start of the 2021 Triple-A season will be delayed by a month. As a result, MLB clubs will operate alternative training sites similar to those used during the reduced 2020 pandemic season.
The Triple-A season was initially scheduled to begin on April 6, but games will be postponed to early May, at the same time as the Double A and Class A seasons are expected to begin. Some Triple-A teams are scheduled to begin their seasons on May 4, with the rest two days later.
“This is a prudent step to complete Major League and Minor League seasons as safely as possible and we look forward to returning fans to dance stands across the country soon,” said Morgan Sword, executive vice president of MLB baseball operations. statement.
With the COVID-19 pandemic leading to the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League season, alternative venues were created as part of MLB’s health and safety protocols, which provided a location close to clubs for training and develop players during the reduced MLB campaign.
It has not yet been determined how many players will be allowed in the alternate positions this year. Last season, the clubs presented groups of players of 60 men and those who were included in a group of players but who were not part of the active list of the Major League were able to train in the alternative place. The difference this year is that there will be a simultaneous Minor League spring training in April, which will give clubs more options on how to prepare the minor leagues for the season.
The reinstatement of alternative training sites will reduce the risk by temporarily eliminating airline business trips that would be required during the Triple-A season. Alternative sites also make it easier for MLB teams to monitor coronavirus testing and manage protocols.
Meanwhile, the delay of the Triple-A season increases the chances that players will be vaccinated before the start of the season, as the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be rolled out across the country. On Tuesday, President Biden announced that there will be sufficient supply of vaccines for all adults in the United States by the end of May.