Report: MLB Tells Broadcast Partners To Prepare For Potential 2020 Season Shutdown
NEW YORK (CBS Sports) -- Major League Baseball's commissioner Rob Manfred told MLB Players Association head Tony Clark on Friday that the season could be scrapped if the league's COVID-19 numbers continue to get worse, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
According to Passan, some players briefed on the call believe Manfred could pull the plug as soon as Monday, depending on the extent of the weekend's testing.
Those individuals aren't the only ones hearing about that possibility, either. Keith Olbermann, also of ESPN, reported Friday night that "Networks broadcasting MLB games have been alerted to look at possible alternate programming after this weekend should the league shut down."
It's unclear what Manfred's threshold is for keeping the season going. The St. Louis Cardinals had at least four more individuals test positive on Saturday morning, but early reports suggest that most of those are not players but rather staff members. Still, the Cardinals situation would seem to have the same kind of outbreak potential that consumed the Miami Marlins all week.