Page 17 - ARUBA TODAY

A17
Thursday 19 March 2020

New

normal: WHAT TH’

MLB

adjusts to

coronavirus BUC!

uncertainty

By DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer
PHOENIX (AP) — Major
league teams adjusted to
their strange new normal,
with more players returning
to their hometowns as they
realized baseball won't be
played for months.
Arizona manager Torey
Lovullo said he feels like
he's "playing hooky" every
day as the world fights the
new coronavirus pandem-
ic that caused postpone-
ment of opening day until
at least mid-May.
"My heart knows where it's
supposed to be," Lovul-
lo said Tuesday. "But my
head is saying we've got
a bigger cause that's right
in front of us. It's still some-
thing that we are all get-
ting used to."
Major League Baseball re-
sponded to the players' as-
sociation on Tuesday, two
days following the union's
counteroffer on issues such
as salaries, major league
service time, performance
bonuses, opt outs and the
amateur draft. Baseball's
current collective bar-
gaining agreement runs
through 2021, and the
chaos has increased the
possibility of talks leading
to a modified deal with a
later expiration.
Houston ace Justin Ver-
lander had surgery on his
right groin and is expected
to be out about six weeks,
which could make him
available for the delayed Brady deal could make Bucs relevant
opening day. Verlander
dealt with the problem
early in spring training. His
first start was delayed until In this Jan. 10, 2015, file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady holds up the game ball after an NFL divisional playoff
football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Foxborough, Mass.
March 3 because of dis- Associated Press
comfort in the same area. Page 20
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