Report: MLB fearful of losing season to second coronavirus wave

There may be more urgency for Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association to come to terms on an agreement to begin the 2020 season than some realize.  

On Wednesday evening, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that MLB is keen on finishing a shortened season amid the coronavirus pandemic before a second coronavirus wave leads to shutdowns that would shutter sports leagues throughout North America for the second time this year.

Toronto Blue Jays and QuestCap medical advisor Glenn Copeland spoke with Nightengale about that subject: 

"The story of the virus, infectious diseases and entomology is that there is usually a second wave," Copeland said. "The numbers drop lower and lower in the summer months, it’s less contagious, and people out there get lulled into the second that social distancing isn’t necessary and other precautions aren’t being taken. And then whamo. You’re hit with that second wave.

"And the problem is that no one knows when that second wave is coming."

Opening Day is another event nobody can predict as of May 13. Earlier today, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer and Rachel Luba, Bauer's agent, criticized a proposal from MLB involving the players accepting a 50-50 revenue split. 

Assuming games are played at home ballparks or in a single state such as Florida or Arizona, it's expected they will occur behind closed doors and without fans in attendance. 

Because there is no set date for the start of spring training 2.0, let alone for the first slate of games, anybody speculating about the length of the regular season or a playoff format is guessing. By all accounts, MLB and the players aren't close to striking a deal.