11 Major League Baseball umpires have decided to opt out of the league’s abbreviated season, set to get underway in less that two weeks.
That report comes from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.
Sources: 11 Major League umpires have opted out or decided not to participate. Some are said to have family members who are ill.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 14, 2020
“There are only 70 MLB umpires, so they’re now forced to figure out a way to have games without 15 percent of their workforce,” Pro Football Talk reports. “Of course, since there are no minor league games this year, there are plenty of lower-level umps who need work.”
Still, there’s every chance that more umpires will opt out. The restart of Spring Training hasn’t even begun yet. Once the first inevitable outbreak hits among players, staff, and umps, there’s every possibility that more umps – and players – may opt out.
Spring Training gets underway on July 23rd, when the defending World Series Champion Washington Nationals take on the New York Yankees.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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