Major League Baseball is in talks to hold the 2020 postseason at “controlled sites,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday.
According to Rosenthal, the league is discussing the American League playing postseason games in southern California and the National League in Texas. Southern California has two big league ballparks (Angels and Dodgers), and Texas has three (Astros and Rangers), including Globe Life Park — Texas’ home through 2019.
Rosenthal added the World Series possibly could be played at Globe Life Field, Texas’ new ballpark, noting these discussions are not close to final. ESPN’s Jeff Passsan first reported earlier in August the league had begun discussions to use a bubble format for the postseason.
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Two MLB teams have encountered COVID-19 outbreaks this season in the Marlins and Cardinals, while two others — the Reds and Mets — have had games postponed recently due to positive tests.
The NBA and NHL have found success using bubbles for the conclusion of their seasons. As of their last updates, zero players in either league tested positive for COVID-19 in the leagues’ respective bubbles.
Cubs outfielder and players union rep Ian Happ told WSCR's Dan Bernstein on Wednesday he isn't sure what it would look like but thinks "some form of the bubble is very, very likely."
MLB
“I don’t really see a way that they would not do it,” Happ told Bernstein. “I think that it’s very likely that they do some sort of bubble. They want to make sure that players stay healthy.
“They can’t afford to have a team go down and not be able to play. It makes a lot of sense to do it."