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Just when you think the obvious disconnect between the player’s union and MLB owners was the only thing keeping baseball from being played in 2020, thing again.
Just within the last week, 40 MLB players and staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Bob Nightingale of USA Today Sports. Due to the recent spike in positive cases, the players chose to delay their vote on whether or not to accept the MLB’s latest 60-game proposal or force commissioner Rob Manfred to implement his own season schedule for the 2020 season.
There were 40 positive coronavirus tests in baseball alone last week, prompting urgency for agreement MLB and union to reach agreement by mid-week or a mandated 54-60 game season by Rob Manfred. https://t.co/vYtJ8EHvnc
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 22, 2020
If the players decide to reject the 60-game offer, it would also open up Manfred and the MLB to a potential grievance filed by the player’s union.
Per Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports, the actual split of positive cases between players and staff members is still currently unknown. Even if the vote is completed this week and the 60-game proposal is pushed through, there is growing concern around the league that the resumption of play would be pushed back even further from it’s current restart date of July 19.
One of the final variables being tossed around is the chance that the MLB may implement its’ own version of a “bubble”, similar to what the NBA is doing in their return to play in Orlando.