The Associated Press reports that the Indians and Twins have announced plans to extend protective netting at Progressive Field and Target Field, respectively, for the 2018 season.
At Progressive Field, the netting will be extended from behind home plate to the ends of both dugouts. Canopy nets will be stretched farther down the third base line.
At Target Field, the height of the existing netting will be raised above the dugout from seven feet to nine feet. The netting will also be extended along the Dugout Box seating area down the foul lines.
Teams got serious about extending protective netting after a young fan was struck by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium in September. The Reds, Padres, Mariners, and Brewers each announced plans to implement more netting. The Yankees didn’t get on board until October. And now the Indians and Twins will join them. Other teams, like the Phillies, had already extended netting even beyond Major League Baseball’s guidelines.