Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles stands empty in an aerial view from late May. Games will resume in late July.
Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
No spitting: MLB unveils some new rules due to the coronavirus
Major League Baseball is officially coming back this summer after a delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but aspects of the game will look a little different.
By Austin Horn
Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles stands empty in an aerial view from late May. Games will resume in late July.
Major League Baseball is officially coming back this summer after a delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but aspects of the game will look a little different.
MLB announced Monday that it would shift some of its in-game rules, making significant and historic changes.
Many of those rule changes were made with concerns over the spread of the coronavirus in mind, including a threat of immediate ejection if a player or coach comes within 6 feet of an umpire or opponent in the course of an argument.
There’s also a ban on spitting, which many baseball players do conspicuously. Spitting, “including but not limited to saliva, sunflower seeds or peanut shells, or tobacco,” is prohibited.
Other measures to limit the spread of the virus include asking pitchers to carry a small wet rag instead of licking their fingers for moisture, ordering teams to provide expanded dugout and bullpen space, and instructing all participants to practice general social distancing.
Fielders are also “encouraged to retreat several steps away” from the base runner when the ball is out of play.
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