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Major League Baseball does not have support from Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler to conduct the 2020 season strictly in Arizona amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"I couldn’t even imagine missing the birth and just not being around and going, 'Hey, I'll see you in December' or whenever it is," Wheeler told The Athletic's Andy McCullough in a story published Tuesday. "That's not going to work."
Wheeler and his wife, Dominique, are expected to welcome their first child in July.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported late Monday night that MLB was focused on starting the season "as early as May" and outlined a plan being discussed:
"The plan, sources said, would dictate that all 30 teams play games at stadiums with no fans in the Phoenix area, including the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field, 10 spring training facilities and perhaps other nearby fields.