Report: Angels season unlikely to begin before May

As players, executives, and the Commissioner’s office attempt to plan amid a national emergency, it doesn’t appear that Angels baseball is returning anytime soon.

Just how long baseball will be on pause, as the country attempts to navigate through a public health crisis unlike any in modern history, is anyone’s guess at this point. Obviously, there are bigger issues to resolve than pinpointing exactly when everyone’s favorite team will take the field again. In fact, the uncertainty and severity of what is happening around the world should be enough of a reason to suggest that we are a long way off from seeing Mike Trout stand in the batter’s box again.

It is under these unique circumstances that baseball insiders are starting to suggest the season will be delayed longer than just a few weeks. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, who is as clued in as anybody in the business, wrote this morning, “industry sources believe it is unlikely the season will begin before May.”

As Angels players decide where to spend their time during the break, either remaining in Tempe, heading to Anaheim, or returning home, Major League Baseball continues to wrestle with questions about player compensation, future scheduling, and how to keep players and staff healthy in the face of a spreading virus that has forced President Trump to declare a national emergency.

Whenever the season returns, a second Spring Training will likely be needed, similar to what the league did before starting the strike-shortened season in 1995. As more time passes and players scatter throughout the country, it could take several weeks to ramp baseball activities back up, even after the league feels it is safe to start playing again.

In summary, don’t expect baseball anytime soon.

Please check back as more information becomes available. In the meantime, our thoughts are with those impacted by this virus. For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.