NEW YORK (Reuters) – As ballparks across North America sit empty, Major League Baseball teams are set to release new ticket policies that could see some fans getting refunds, a little over a month after the season was supposed to start.
Like other major professional sports leagues, MLB’s calendar has been put on hold amid the coronavirus outbreak that has kept millions across the globe indoors and away from large public gatherings to stem the spread of the virus.
Officially, games have been listed as “postponed” and not canceled, with MLB still hoping to salvage as much of the season as possible, targeting a start date between mid-June and early July, the Athletic reported.
Yet the league will now allow each team to determine its own ticketing policy beginning as early as Wednesday, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The league and its 30 teams were sued by a pair of ticket holders in New York last week who said they were unable to obtain refunds for hundreds of dollars worth of tickets for games that were put on hold.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s leading infectious disease adviser earlier this month suggested that baseball could be played without fans and if players are kept in lockdown as a safety precaution.
Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Toby Davis