Major League Baseball owners gave the go-ahead today to making a proposal to the players union that could lead to the coronavirus-delayed season starting around the Fourth of July weekend in ballparks without fans, a plan that envisioned expanding the designated hitter to the National League for 2020. Spring training would start in early to mid-June, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Each team would play about 82 regular-season games, most against opponents in its own division with interleague matchups limited to AL East vs. NL East, AL Central vs. NL Central and AL West vs. NL West. Postseason play would be expanded from 10 clubs to 14 by doubling wild cards in each league to four. It was also noted the MLB All Star Game-scheduled for July 14th at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles-likely would be called off.