The 2020 season has gotten started, but it has not been a spotless one, the Miami Marlins have had quite the outbreak of COVID-19 that does not seem to be done leaving players testing positives. Due to concerns with scheduling issues, Major League Baseball has announced that it will re-work games and shorten them so that they can get postponed games in.
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have agreed to stage seven-inning doubleheaders starting Aug. 1, sources familiar with the situation tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2020
Major League Baseball ultimately realizes that there are plenty of games being canceled, and they needed to step up and make some changes to allow these postponed games to get made up and squeezed in. The shortening of doubleheaders to seven innings allows for pitching staff health to remain intact over this 60-game sprint.
Making changes like this are what make things run smoother, helping teams stay healthy and get through this sprint as best as possible. With the Phillies suspending baseball activities until further notice, and the Marlins are done thorough Monday, things are going to be hectic.
Expecting things to get uglier before they get better, Major League Baseball and the MLBPA is trying to get ahead of the curve and avoid any major issues that could come up. Adding the continuation of testing from the Marlins outbreak, this rule change is going to help in the long run.
