The sign on Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, has been changed to show that Major League Baseball's Opening Day is now on hold. Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Indians hand 'indefinite layoffs' to ballpark employees

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jun 2, 2020 4:26 PM ET

The Cleveland Indians may unofficially be trying to tell fans something about the club potentially hosting summer games at any point in the foreseeable future amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Tuesday, Karen Kasler of Ohio's Statehouse News Bureau tweeted that 1,146 Progressive Field employees have been impacted by "a notice of indefinite layoff."

Bad news from major league baseball and for Cleveland. @Indians have filed a notice of indefinite layoff at Progressive Field. 1,146 workers affected.
— Karen Kasler (@karenkasler) June 2, 2020

Kasler was unable to immediately answer what that could mean for the state of big-league baseball as of early June.

I don't know but wish I did - will try to find out
— Karen Kasler (@karenkasler) June 2, 2020

On Monday, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that MLB owners and the MLB Players Association were negotiating over the length of a season that players demand includes pro-rated salaries. Owners could ask that the campaign holds fewer than 60 games, but Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reported that the players want between 82 and 114 games for 2020.

Kasler's update could indicate Indians officials believe the club won't host games in downtown Cleveland through at least the end of July, either because negotiations between owners and the players are ongoing, or because the league could follow the NHL and NBA and relocate clubs to temporary hub sites so players can quarantine and complete games.

MLB insider Jon Heyman reported the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers are among teams planning to hold spring training sessions at home ballparks if the owners and players agree to terms.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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