Blue Jays in search of a 2nd home
The Blue Jays are talking to several teams about sharing a major league ballpark this season after Canada’s government barred Toronto from playing in its home stadium amid the coronavirus pandemic, general manager Ross Atkins said Monday.
“We would much rather be in a major league facility,” Atkins said.
He declined to identify the teams but said the Blue Jays have more than five contingency plans.
Canada denied the Blue Jays’ request to play at Rogers Centre because the regular-season schedule would require frequent travel back and forth from the United States, where COVID-19 cases are surging
Atkins said if the Blue Jays can’t find a major league park, their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, New York, would be their most likely site for home games.
Atkins said health and safety is the priority, so the ability to socially distance without comprising other teams’ abilities to socially distance is important.
The Blue Jays begin the season against the Rays on the road Friday, and the team is scheduled to play its first home game July 29 against the Nationals.
The team had been considering playing home games at its training facility in Dunedin, Florida, which is among the states that are virus hotspots, or Sahlen Field in Buffalo, just across the Niagara River from Canada. Players have told management they want to be in a major league park.
Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said Saturday player health is a concern in Florida. He said the team has spent time examining Buffalo recently, but he said the stadium has numerous infrastructure challenges.
Horse racing: Los Alamitos is off probation with the California Horse Racing Board approving its plan to address injuries and deaths at the Orange County track. The board voted 6-0 Monday to allow Los Alamitos to continue operating. It had been on a 10-day probation and under threat of losing its license that runs through Dec. 22. According to the board, 21 horses have died from racing or training at the track in 2020, including 10 since May 26. Two horses died after the board’s emergency meeting July 10 when it voted for probation.
High school: California’s governing body for high school sports said Monday the 2020-21 seasons will begin no earlier than December. The California Interscholastic Federation said the fall, winter and spring seasons will be condensed into two seasons.
NFL: Players will be tested daily for the coronavirus for at least the first two weeks of training camp per the league’s new testing protocols. The NFL and the players’ union reached an agreement as rookies for the Texans and Chiefs were set to report to camp Monday. Rookies for other teams begin arriving Tuesday. Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL chief medical officer, said more than one negative test is required before players initially enter the building to begin physical exams or any form of team activity . ... The Jets and Giants announced they will not have fans at home games this season “until further notice” because of coronavirus.
Soccer: The prestigious Ballon d’Or will not be awarded this year because the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the soccer season. Awarded by France Football magazine, the Ballon d’Or has been given out every year since Stanley Matthews won the first one in 1956. The magazine started giving out a women’s award in 2018, but that has also been put on hold.