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MLB cancels spring training games, delays Opening Day by at least 2 weeks due to coronavirus

Spring training games canceled as of 4 p.m. Thursday

Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers in action against the Houston Astros during a spring training baseball game at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on March 9, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Astros defeated the Tigers 2-1. (Rich Schultz, 2020 Getty Images)

DETROIT – Major League Baseball has suspended spring training games and will delay the start of the regular season by at least two weeks, league officials announced.

Spring training games will be canceled starting at 4 p.m. Thursday, and MLB officials will evaluate the situation to determine when Opening Day will be rescheduled.

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Baseball is the latest sport affected by the coronavirus pandemic. College basketball tournaments across the country have been canceled and the NBA season is currently suspended.

The Detroit Tigers are scheduled to play the Atlanta Braves on Thursday at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida. It’s unclear if spring training will resume. Opening Day was originally scheduled for March 26.

Opening Day in Detroit was supposed to take place March 30 against the Kansas City Royals.

Other sports affected

READ: Reliving a crazy evening as coronavirus threw sporting world into complete chaos

The Big Ten Conference allowed fans to attend first-round tournament games Wednesday before announcing the rest of the event would be played in an empty Banker’s Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. But minutes before the first Thursday game between Michigan and Rutgers, Big Ten officials canceled the event altogether.

The NBA suspended its season Wednesday night after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for cornavirus. It was announced Thursday that teammate Donovan Mitchell also tested positive and that teammates thought Gobert had been “careless” in the locker room, according to ESPN.

President Donald Trump announced a travel ban that includes 26 countries in Europe. The ban begins at 11:59 a.m. Friday and will continue for 30 days, the president said.

Colleges across the country canceled in-person classes due to the spread of the virus, citing a hope to create “social distancing.” Many are electing to proceed with online-only classes this month and beyond.

Click here to view all of our coronavirus coverage.


About the Author
Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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