Major League Baseball will suspend operations, including spring training and the first two weeks of the regular season, in response to the spread of coronavirus, the league announced.
The MLB season was originally set to start March 26, but Opening Day will now occur no earlier than April 9. MLB is the fourth major American pro sports league to suspend its season due to the outbreak of COVID-19, joining the NBA, NHL and MLS.
The decision comes after the league’s owners discussed plans on a conference call Thursday afternoon. MLB ceased operations at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, but spring training games were played as scheduled in Florida on Thursday afternoon with fans in attendance.
Minor League Baseball also announced the start of its season would be delayed, and MLB said that qualifying for the World Baseball Classic was postponed indefinitely.
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