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The Toronto Blue Jays received approval from the Canadian government Friday to resume playing their home games in Toronto beginning July 30.

The Blue Jays’ game that day against the Kansas City Royals will mark the first Major League Baseball game played at the Rogers Centre since September 2019.



The team could not play in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 due to cross-border travel restrictions.

“After nearly two years away, the Toronto Blue Jays are finally coming home to Canada beginning July 30,” the team said in a statement. “The club was granted a National Interest Exemption by the federal government that allows Major League Baseball games to be played at Rogers Centre, with robust health and safety protocols in place.”

The Blue Jays played their 2020 season in Buffalo, N.Y., at the home field of their Triple-A affiliate. They began the 2021 season at their spring-training facility in Dunedin, Fla., before returning to Buffalo at the start of June.

Two of the three Major League Soccer franchises based in Canada — Toronto FC and CF Montreal — were also granted a return to the country recently and are set to host matches in their usual home digs on Saturday. It’s unclear when the Vancouver Whitecaps will be able to join them.

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)