Take Two: Dodgers Kick Off Spring Training Friday
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The Los Angeles Dodgers will begin gearing up for the upcoming season when they start a second version of spring training Friday at Dodger Stadium.
After undergoing health checks and coronavirus testing over the past several days, 51 Dodgers players will hit the field Friday for their first practice.
Andrew Friedman, the team's president of baseball operations, confirmed last week that several members of the organization had tested positive for coronavirus, but said none of them displayed symptoms. He did not provide details.
It's unclear how training camp will be affected if players test positive.
Last week, Major League Baseball announced that the players' union and the owners had reached a deal on a truncated 60-game regular season that will begin July 23 or July 24, followed by a postseason. Teams will play in empty ballparks with TV cameras.
MORE: MLB Cancels 2020 All-Star Game, Dodgers To Host In 2022
The official schedule will be released Monday.
The Dodgers were taking part in spring training at their normal spring training headquarters at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., when everything was brought to a halt in mid-March by the coronavirus pandemic. The season, which was slated to start March 26, was delayed indefinitely.
There will be two notable game changes when play resumes later this month. There will be a universal designated hitter to keep pitchers healthy, and extra innings will start with a base runner on second to avoid marathon 11-inning plus games.
Until the playoffs, all the Dodgers games will be on the West Coast. Forty of the 60 games will be interdivisional, and the other 20 interleague games will be against teams in their own geographic area in order to limit travel.
Also Friday, MLB announced that the 2020 All-Star Game, which was set to take place at Dodger Stadium, had been canceled. Since Atlanta has already been selected to host the 2021 All-Star Game, L.A. will host again in 2022.