New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu is staying in Tampa to work out amid the delay of the Major League Baseball season.
Amid MLB’s season delay due to the coronavirus outbreak, New York Yankees players and coaches have decided to leave Tampa to head back home.
This doesn’t include infielder DJ LeMahieu though, who’s chosen to stay at the team’s spring training complex to work out and prepare for the eventual 2020 season.
“All the gyms [back home in] Michigan are closed and it is cold,” LeMahieu said, per George A. King III of the New York Post. “It’s nice to be outside and working out. I think this is the best place to be right now.”
Major League Baseball canceled the remaining spring training games and delayed Opening Day amid the outbreak. The original regular-season start date (March 26) was initially pushed back two weeks to April 9. But now, they’re looking at a mid-May date for Opening Day with some people suggesting it may not occur until July.
Thus, the league gave players three options: stay at their respective team’s spring training location, go back home to their respective team’s city, or return to their offseason homes unless they’re international.
LeMahieu seems to be doing just fine with the former-most choice but is still staying cautious.
“I guess personally we’re doing OK. But it’s a serious situation I don’t think anyone saw coming,” he said. “We’re doing what we can.”
The Yanks had just 12 games remaining on their spring training schedule prior to the cancellation. They were supposed to take on the Baltimore Orioles on Opening Day. But now, it’s uncertain how the fate of the regular season stands.