MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL | 2020 PREVIEW DATES TO PENCIL IN At long last, baseball is ready to go after opening day was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. With UNCHARTED: a myriad of potential problems circling a 60-game MLB SETS COURSE schedule, the whole season is truly a day-to-day BASEBALL proposition. With that in mind, here are a handful of dates to FOR SEASON AMID mark on the calendar. Just make sure you use a pencil. >> THURSDAY, JULY 23 << COVID-19 PANDEMIC New York Yankees at Washington Nationals: Base- IS BACK ball begins again with a star-studded matchup in a city that knows a little something about expectations | BY JAKE SEINER AP SPORTS WRITER will host the Yankees on July 23 for the Rendon decided dierently, leaving and power. Juan Soto and Washington open their title season’s rst game — likely a showdown Washington when the Angels oered a defense after winning the World Series for the rst his was a curveball no one saw between Washington ace Max Scher- $245 million, seven-year deal. He’ll join time in franchise history. Gerrit Cole is hoping to lead coming — and you might remem- zer and New York’s latest big-money Trout, a fully healthy Shohei Ohtani and New York to its 28th championship after the ace right- rst-year manager Joe Maddon — red hander signed a blockbuster deal with the Yankees in Tber, the Houston Astros have a addition, Gerrit Cole. Out West, Clayton free agency. knack for that. Kershaw should be on the mound later aer 2019 by the Chicago Cubs — in >> THURSDAY, JULY 30 << “is is all uncharted waters,” rst- that night as the Los Angeles Dodgers Anaheim. Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins: The Twins year Astros manager Dusty Baker said. face the San Francisco Giants. e Dodgers made the oseason’s clubbed a major league-record 307 homers on their Baseball is back, but amid a coronavi- It will be a sprint from there. Clubs biggest splash at the last minute, acquir- way to the AL Central title last year — and then added rus pandemic still surging in the United will play 60 games in 67 days, with the ing 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts from slugger Josh Donaldson in free agency. States, it’s going to be dierent. season ending Sept. 27. All 30 teams are the Red Sox days before the start of >> FRIDAY, AUG. 7 << Aer shutting down spring train- to start their nales at 3 p.m. EDT to spring training. He and 2019 NL MVP Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics: José Altuve ing and going on a nearly four-month account for a nal-day playo scramble. Cody Bellinger will form a star-studded and Houston nish their rst road trip in Oakland, outeld — at least for one year. Betts can home of former teammate Mike Fiers. But this isn’t hiatus, Major League Baseball plans to Most games this season, however, are at going to be one of those warm reunions. open a 60-game regular season on July night. become a free agent aer the season. >> THURSDAY, AUG. 13 << 23. Teams are set to play in their home Clubs will play 40 times against divi- St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago White Sox: The ballparks and travel between cities — no sion opponents, and the remaining 20 SOMETHING NEW Cardinals are in and the Yankees are out for baseball’s sequestering in bubbles, like the NBA will be interleague games against teams Games between National League tribute to “Field of Dreams” at the site in eastern Iowa and NHL. from corresponding regions — NL East teams will use the designated hitter for where the 1989 movie was lmed. ere are protocols for rigorous vs. AL East, for example. 2020 as MLB and the players’ union hope >> MONDAY, AUG. 17 << testing and social distancing in dugouts, A juicy twist brought on by the to keep players healthy amid the con- Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves: Ronald and some players will wear face masks on rejiggered schedule: the Houston Astros densed schedule. No decision has been Acuña Jr. and Atlanta host Trea Turner and Washing- the eld. Braves slugger Freddie Freeman will play at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 12 made about 2021, but it’s likely most ton in their rst meeting since the Nationals won it all. and Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in a rematch of the 2017 World Series. pitchers have taken their nal at-bats in >> FRIDAY, AUG. 21 << are among those already sidelined by the big leagues. Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants: It will be their rst meeting since it was Madison Bumgarner returns to San Francisco after COVID-19, and more are likely to follow. revealed Houston illicitly stole signs en Another change rankling traditional- signing an $85 million, ve-year contract with Arizona Hard to know what’s coming next. route to a 2017 championship, news ists — MLB is adopting an extra-innings in December. For a sport transformed in recent years that irked Los Angeles’ players and fans. rule that gives each club an automatic >> MONDAY, AUG. 31<< by upper-cut swings, just getting a ball in Astros manager AJ Hinch and general runner on second base to start each in- Trade deadline: Last day during the season to trade play will be victory enough. ning from the 10th on. Hardly a popular a player. The deadline to be in an organization for manager Je Luhnow were red in the postseason eligibility is Sept. 15. “It feels good to be back on the eld,” fallout. change, but it should keep games from Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said. dragging deep into the night. >> WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2 << e Field of Dreams ballpark in Iowa Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees: The Rays Not everyone agreed. Giants catcher remains on track. e Chicago White “I haven’t met anyone so far that likes were one of baseball’s biggest surprises a year ago, Buster Posey, Dodgers le-hander David Sox had been scheduled to play the New it,” Washington Nationals manager Dave going 96-66 and making it to the AL Division Series Price, Braves righty Félix Hernández and York Yankees. Instead, the White Sox Martinez said. before losing to Houston. Nationals veteran Ryan Zimmerman are will face the St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB decided before the hiatus to >> SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 << all sitting out the season due to safety cornelds on Aug. 13. institute a three-batter minimum for all Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers: Los concerns. With midsummer already gone, there pitchers, possibly signaling an end to the Angeles was supposed to face the AL Central in Even Angels star Mike Trout, expect- won’t be an All-Star Game. e Los le-handed specialist. interleague play this year. Then the coronavirus hit ing his rst child with wife Jessica in and MLB reorganized its schedule to limit travel — Angeles Dodgers were supposed to host, Some virus protocols will give the setting up Houston’s rst trip to Dodger Stadium August, isn’t so sure. but they’ve been awarded the 2022 game game a dierent look, too. Reserve since the Astros’ sign-stealing scheme became public “Honestly, I still don’t feel that instead. players not likely to enter the game knowledge. The Dodgers lost to Houston in seven comfortable,” he said. may watch from the stands instead games in that 2017 World Series, and they weren’t shy “is is a tough time, WHO’S THAT GUY? of the dugout, and there will be no about expressing their disdain for the Astros after the a tough situation e Yankees claimed free spitting, no sunower seeds and scandal came out over the winter. everyone is in. agency’s biggest prize when they no nger licking. Getting too close >> SUNDAY, SEPT. 27 << Everybody has a signed ace Gerrit Cole to a $324 to an umpire to argue will lead Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals: The responsibility in last two NL Central champions nish the regular million, nine-year deal in December. to immediate ejection and season with a four-game set. Jack Flaherty and Paul this clubhouse. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks discipline. Goldschmidt led the way as St. Louis won the division Social distance, poached long-time Giants le- With fans barred last year for the rst time since 2015, nishing two stay inside, hander Madison Bumgarner, from entering stadi- games ahead of Milwaukee. But the Brewers played wear a mask Hyun-Jin Ryu le the Dodgers for ums, clubs are getting without Christian Yelich down the stretch after the and be safe.” star outelder broke his right kneecap. the Blue Jays, and Zack Wheeler creative. Some teams Los Angeles Angels at Los Angeles Dodgers: The landed with the Phillies. plan to pump in arti- 60GAME Freeway Series drives into the last weekend of the Right-hander Stephen Stras- cial crowd noise, and season. Mike Trout and the Angels are hoping to SPRINT burg, last fall’s World Series MVP, many are letting die- return to the playos for the rst time since 2014, and e tested the market but returned to hards purchase the right they’ll have Joe Maddon in the dugout after he was World hired as manager in October. The loaded Dodgers, the Nationals for $245 million to have their likenesses who acquired Mookie Betts in a Feb. 10 trade with Series cham- over seven years. printed on cutouts that will Mookie Boston, are aiming for their rst World Series champi- Mike pion Nationals ird baseman Anthony be placed in the seats.