Major League Baseball announced Friday that the first week of spring training games will not be played as the league and players union have yet to reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement.
Pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report for workouts Wednesday, but facilities remained closed due to the stalled negotiations.
MLB also released a statement that said they “regret” having to postpone games.
“We regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of spring training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5th,” the MLB statement said. “All 30 clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands. The clubs have adopted a uniform policy that provides an option for full refunds for fans who have purchased tickets from the clubs to any spring training games that are not taking place. We are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to each side.”
Another meeting between the owners and players will take place on Monday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Opening Day is still scheduled for March 31.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].