MLB Rumors: Players To Report To Camp By July 1, Play 60-Game Season

Ladies and gentlemen, Major League Baseball could be back as early as next week.

The MLB Players Association on Tuesday informed the league that players have agreed to report to their respective training camps by July 1 ahead of a 60-game season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and the New York Post’s Joel Sherman.

The deal reportedly hasn’t been finalized, however, as there’s just one hurdle left for the two sides to overcome. The parties have yet to agree to the health and safety protocols that will be in place once the 2020 season begins, per Passan and Sherman. These guidelines have been a major sticking point for players, as they’ll be required to sign an “acknowledgment of risk” before playing.

That said, Sherman says the two sides are “working on it.”

The players gave MLB commissioner Rob Manfred control of the season Monday after rejecting the league’s latest proposal. MLB owners later voted in favor of honoring their March 26 deal with the players.

Training camps are expected to be held in each teams’ home city after a surge in COVID-19 cases in both Florida and Arizona, where teams typically train for an upcoming season.

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