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Major League Baseball players plan to vote Sunday on the most recent return-to-play proposal, ESPN reported.



On Saturday, multiple reports indicated the Major League Baseball Players Association would delay voting on MLB’s latest proposal while it collects further information on health and safety protocols as COVID-19 cases spike in a number of cities.

Recent positive coronavirus tests led to the temporary shutdown of training sites by MLB.

Before MLB’s action, the Philadelphia Phillies closed their Clearwater, Fla., campus after five players and three staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. The Toronto Blue Jays shut their training site in nearby Dunedin, Fla., after a player exhibited symptoms of COVID-19.

The season was scheduled to start March 26, but the coronavirus pandemic led to the delay that has lasted nearly three months so far.

MLB is expecting an answer from the MLBPA per a 60-game proposal with expanded playoffs. If the MLBPA turns down the offer, commissioner Rob Manfred has the power to implement a schedule, which would likely consist of somewhere between 50 and 60 games.

The union presented a 70-game proposal earlier this week, and MLB declined the offer.



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