Some MLB players aren’t sure they want a 2020 season

Bob
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Posted on: July 6, 2020 6:09 pm EDT

The coronavirus is causing more concern for baseball players, as well as other athletes

Now that MLB has decided on shortening the season and run only 60 games, players are still expressing their concerns about playing baseball amid these times. Former Cy Young Award winner Félix Hernández is the latest addition to the list of major league players deciding to opt-out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Other players, like stars Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers and Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros, are having a more careful approach and are willing to play, but others have stated that, should they feel uncomfortable at any point, they will opt-out.

One of those concerned players is reliever Sean Doolittle, who was there for Washington when the team won the World Series last year. He has been wondering if the US has done enough to contain the virus from spreading so that sports can return safely. Now, the 2020 season is getting ready to start in less than three weeks, while the US is still being hit hard with thousands of new cases of coronavirus reported confirmed every day.

The Oakland Athletics ran their second straight day of spring training without two members projected to start rotation: Mike Fiers and Jesus Luzardo. The club manager said that it was because of a “pending” matter that was not related to an injury. So far, there haven’t been any positive cases of coronavirus confirmed among any of the team or staff members for the A’s.

But for the Atlanta Braves, things are more complicated. Manager Brian Snitker said Hernández decided to opt-out after he participated in workouts on Friday and Saturday at Truist Park. It seems that his decision came after four-time All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman and three other members tested positive.