Three Major League Baseball teams closed their spring training camps Friday because of COVID-19 concerns.
Other teams have reported positive tests.
That has MLB “strongly considering” closing all 30 facilities to clean them, while establishing testing protocol for when players return, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
The Phillies and Blue Jays, who have spring training in Florida, and the Giants, who train in Arizona, closed their camps after personnel contracted the virus.
MLB allowed players to return to their team’s spring training facilities or home stadiums to work out. But each team created its own protocol since MLB and its players association do not have an agreement.
It appears less likely by the day that MLB will have a 2020 season, but if baseball begins, it is considering protocols that would require personnel to test negative daily before entering a facility, according to Sherman.
Sports leagues have to figure out how to mitigate the risk, because the coronavirus is making it clear it isn’t going away anytime soon.