SQUABBLING between Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) may not be the league’s biggest concern before long.

As the league and union continue to face off over an agreement to play the 2020 MLB season, 40 players and team staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last week, according to USA Today Sports’ Bob Nightengale.

The exact split of players and staff and their identities were not disclosed, but seeing that many cases in just the last seven days should worry a league that has never had a firm answer on how it will keep its employees safe if/when it holds its season amid a pandemic.

MLB previously closed all of its spring training sites after seeing a number of players test positive, a problem compounded by rising coronavirus rates in Florida and Arizona.

An MLBPA vote on the owners’ recent proposal to play 60 games this year is still pending, though the coronavirus cases could reportedly cause a delay to the start of the season.

For now, Nightengale reports every team except the Toronto Blue Jays will likely hold their spring training in their home cities rather than Arizona and Florida.

Previously, MLB and the MLBPA seemed to agree that whatever number of games were held, they would be held in team’s home stadiums without spectators.(SD-Agencies)