MLB delivered its 67-page “2020 Operations Manual” to the Players Association on Friday night in which the league provided guidelines, from no spitting to discouraging players from leaving hotels on the road. MLB had briefed the union on many of the items in a Tuesday tele-meeting and in subsequent follow-up discussions. The commissioner’s office still …
MLB delivered its 67-page “2020 Operations Manual” to the Players Association on Friday night in which the league provided guidelines, from no spitting to discouraging players from leaving hotels on the road.
MLB had briefed the union on many of the items in a Tuesday tele-meeting and in subsequent follow-up discussions. The commissioner’s office still considers even this document — which was obtained by The Post — a draft that reflects the counsel of its medical advisors. MLB expects amendments after hearing back from teams and the union on the content. And, of course, the union has to agree to these conditions to return to play.
MLB is hoping to resume spring training in mid-June and the regular season in the first week of July, in a combination of home stadiums and spring sites. Central to the plan sent to the union is regular testing for COVID-19 and its related antibodies of all players, other on-field personnel (managers, coaches, umpires) and a limited number of essential staff who come in close proximity to players. The hope drawn out in the plan is to quickly and proactively identify any tested person who contracts coronavirus to diminish the risk of transmitting it to others.
The testing will be handled by the facility in Salt Lake City that already serves as MLB’s anti-doping laboratory, allowing MLB to state in its plan that it is not diverting resources from other labs performing virus testing.
Upon arriving at spring training, all players and support staff must undergo a screening 48-72 hours prior to the report date — in which temperature will be taken with a contactless thermometer, either a saliva or nasal swab test will be administered and so will a blood test. The MLB plan then calls for those tested to self-quarantine for the 24-48 hours until results are generated.
A negative test will allow a player to join spring training. A positive test would lead to self-isolating and the beginning of monitoring and care.
