Sports

Rockies' Ian Desmond Sitting Out 2020 Season: 'I Felt The Prejudices'

June 29, 2020 / 9:08 PM MDT / CBS Colorado

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DENVER (CBS4) - Ian Desmond will not be playing baseball in 2020. The Rockies outfielder made the announcement in a lengthy Instagram post on Monday night.

Desmond cited both social issues as well as coronavirus as his reasons for sitting out the season.

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"With a pregnant wife and four young children who have lots of questions about what's going on in the world, home is where I need to be right now," said Desmond in his post.

Ian Desmond #20 of the Colorado Rockies poses for a portrait during Photo Day at the Colorado Rockies Spring Training Facility at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 19, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)

The Rockies are set to begin Summer Camp on Wednesday at Coors Field.

Earlier on Monday Rockies GM Jeff Bridich and manager Bud Black met with the media for more than an hour, and Bridich said he expected everyone to be in attendance when Summer Camp opened. That will obviously not be the case.

Desmond hit .255 last season with 20 HRs. He was projected to be a starting outfielder in 2020.

Desmond said in his post that instead of focusing his attention on major league baseball in 2020, he'll be spending time with his family and will spend time helping his old Little League and, "working with everyone involved to make sure we get Sarasota Youth Baseball back on track. It is what I can do, in the scheme of so much. So I am."