Los Angeles—Major League Baseball edged closer to a shortened season on Monday as bitter wrangling between team owners and players neared its endgame.
MLB team owners on Monday voted unanimously to go ahead with the 2020 season under the terms of a deal reached with the MLB Players Association in March.
The owners’ vote came after the MLBPA’s executive board voted earlier in the day against a proposed 60-game regular season with expanded playoffs.
The rejection means MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred can now order teams to play a drastically shortened season—something the team owners have approved.
However, before formally inking the shortened season, the MLB has requested that the MLBPA confirm by 5pm Tuesday (2100 GMT) that players will be ready to return to training camp by July 1.
The players must also agree on the terms of the season operating manual, which includes health and safety protocols related to COVID-19.
The MLB and the MLBPA have been at loggerheads over how to salvage the baseball season, which should have started on March 26 but was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The league proposed a succession of deals that would have seen the players receive only a percentage of their salaries, prorated by number of games played.
Players pushed back against the league proposals, noting that they had already agreed to a pay cut in March and should not be required to accept a further reduction in salary.
The MLBPA had requested a longer regular season with no pay cuts, a proposal that has been firmly opposed by MLB owners, who will take a massive financial hit from a season that will be played out without spectators.
In Tokyo, Japan, up to 5,000 fans will be able to attend Japanese football and baseball games from July 10, officials said Monday as the sports inch towards normality after coronavirus suspensions.
The heads of Nippon Professional Baseball and football’s J-League announced the move at a joint press appearance after consultations with infection experts.
“We must fully consider the current situation… but we have received word from government officials that we can declare that we will let spectators in from the 10th of next month,” baseball commissioner Atsushi Saito told a press briefing.
J-League chief Mitsuru Murai said the same date would apply for football matches.
Stadiums will admit only 5,000 spectators or 50 percent of their capacity, whichever number is smaller. Fans are expected to be asked to wear masks, wash their hands frequently and avoid shouting, according to reports.
Professional baseball, Japan’s most popular sport, began its season last Friday behind closed doors after a three-month delay as the coronavirus pandemic swept around the world.
The top tier of Japan’s J-League football will return on July 4, initially in front of empty stadiums.
While Japan has experienced a comparatively small coronavirus outbreak, the pandemic has forced a one-year delay of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with some experts concerned that even that postponement may not be enough time for the event to be held safely.
Japan’s government last month lifted a national state of emergency over the virus, saying major events such as sports games could only gradually allow fans to return to stadiums.