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Coronavirus Sports: MLB Owners Reportedly Approve Plan To Start Season In July Without Fans

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) — Will we actually see the Philadelphia Phillies take the field this year? Major League Baseball owners gave the go-ahead Monday to making a proposal to the players’ union that could lead to the coronavirus-delayed season starting around the Fourth of July weekend in ballparks without fans, a plan that envisioned expanding the designated hitter to the National League for 2020.

Spring training would start in early to mid-June, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the plan were not announced.

Each team would play about 82 regular-season games: against opponents in its own division plus interleague matchups limited to AL East vs.