The Angels have opened Angel Stadium and their minor league facility in Tempe, Ariz., for limited workouts for players on the 40-man roster, general manager Billy Eppler said on Monday.
The workouts can be on the field or indoor facilities, but they are limited to four players per site at any time.
At least six other teams — the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays — have opened baseball facilities in the past week. The Seattle Mariners are planning to open their spring training facility on Tuesday.
The Dodgers facilities at Dodger Stadium and in Glendale, Ariz., are open only for injured players to rehab, but not for healthy players to participate in baseball workouts, a club spokesman said.
Opening the facilities marks a small step toward the resumption of the sport, as Major League Baseball and the Players’ Association negotiate the financial and health considerations required to emerge from the coronavirus shutdown.
MLB has reportedly proposed an 82-game schedule beginning around July 4, with games played in home parks and without fans, at least initially. Teams would play all games within their division and the corresponding division in the other league.
A spring training reboot would begin sometime in June, with teams having the option of returning to Florida or Arizona or working out at at their home park.
MLB submitted to the players a 67-page document outlining the accommodations that would be made to prevent the spread of coronavirus within the sport, including everything from frequent testing to bans on mound visits.This week baseball officials are expected to present a financial proposal to the union. MLB owners have contended that players should accept less than their pro-rated full salaries if they are to play games without the revenue of ticket sales. Players believe the issue was settled when they agreed to be paid only for games played, rather than their full salaries.
