Toronto Blue Jays Without A Home On MLB Opening Day

MLB Opening Day has arrived, yet one of the league’s 30 teams doesn’t have a home for the 2020 season. The Toronto Blue Jays still don’t know where they’ll be playing half their games during the 60-game schedule.

The Blue Jays have been told by the Canadian government they cannot host games at Rogers Centre, the team’s stadium since 1989, as players travel back and forth from the United States during the coronavirus pandemic. Attempts by the organization to secure a temporary home this year have thus far failed.

Toronto starts the season Friday on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Blue Jays’ first home game is scheduled for next Wednesday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Wednesday that Toronto would not be allowed to play its home games at Pittsburgh’s PNC Bank Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates had agreed to let the Blue Jays use their venue for scheduled home games.

“In recent weeks, we have seen a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in southwestern Pennsylvania,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement. “To add travelers to this region for any reason, including for professional sports events, risks residents, visitors and members of both teams. We know that this virus does not discriminate, and can even make professional athletes very sick. We are committed to protecting the health and well-being of all Pennsylvanians.”

Baltimore reportedly is a potential option though that would be contingent on approval by the state government. The Blue Jays could play at Buffalo’s Sahlen Field, the home of Toronto’s minor-league affiliate, but players have told the front office they prefer to play in a major-league ballpark.

If the Blue Jays can’t find a home for the season, they will be forced to play every game on the road. In that case, Toronto’s July 29 contest against the Washington Nationals would take place in the District of Columbia.

Toronto will host professional sports this summer. It has been chosen as one of two hub cities for the restart of the NHL season. All of the NHL players will be living in Canada.

Canada has averaged 487 coronavirus cases over the last seven days, according to The New York Times. The United States has diagnosed 66,602 cases per day in the past week.