Report: MLB Owners Approve Plan For July Opening Day

The plan, which was first reported by the Associated Press, calls for MLB Opening Day to happen around the Fourth of July weekend and the season to play out with teams playing in their own ballparks without fans. 

Under the proposal, the designated hitter would become a part of National League play, a move designed to protect pitchers from injury under the shortened season. 

The season would be 82 games long, about half the amount of games teams usually play, and spring training would start in mid-June. 

Postseason play would be expanded from 10 to 14 teams and rosters sizes would be increased from 26 to 30.

One of the major sticking points when the plan is presented to the player’s union will be salary, as under the plan the players would receive the percentage of their 2020 salaries based on a 50-50 split of revenues MLB receives.

The AP reports that the plan allows for the potential for fans to return to ballparks sometime this season with a small number of seats being sold at first.