On Monday, Major League Baseball announced that they will push back the start of the regular season in accordance with the new recommendations from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
On Sunday, the CDC issued a new guideline that recommends no gatherings of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. If MLB follows the CDC's guidelines, that would mean the hiatus would last until at least May 10.
The news came after commissioner Rob Manfred conducted a conference call with all 30 clubs.
"We will continue to monitor ongoing events and undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts, and urge all baseball fans to follow suit," MLB said in a press release.
Originally, MLB cancelled all spring training games and delayed the start of the regular season by two weeks. Factoring in the time needed for a second spring training, that would mean the regular season may not start until late May, or possibly even June.
There were two weeks remaining in spring training before MLB suspended operations on Mar. 12. Depending on the length of the hiatus, players may need more time than that to get ready for the abbreviated season.
MLB said the clubs remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins. Even if the regular season schedule goes into October and the postseason into November, the odds of the league playing 162 games seems virtually nonexistent.
Approximately 40 Pirates were expected to remain and train in the club's spring training facility in Bradenton, Fla. during the shutdown.