Axios

Today should have been Opening Day, but like seemingly everything else in the world, those plans have been scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: Football and basketball might be more popular sports, but the baseball season is perhaps the most engrained in American life, with the 162-game campaign providing a certain rhythm to the spring and summer months.

The world is hurting right now, and the sports industry is no exception. But the feeling that "we're all in this together" is very real at the moment and worth recognizing. Amid the darkness, there is light.

What they're saying: Joe McLean, a wealth manager for some of the NBA's biggest stars, tells Axios by email that "literally 100%" of his clients have inquired about how much they can afford to donate and the best places to direct the funds.

41% of U.S. adults think the NBA, NHL and other leagues should play a shortened schedule when their seasons resume, according to the latest survey from CivicScience.

By the numbers: 25% of U.S. adults are in favor of canceling the seasons altogether, while 19% would support playing out the full slate of games — something that feels less likely by the day and would be virtually impossible for outdoor sports like baseball.

Go deeper: Where the advertising dollars go when coronavirus cancels sports

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has reached an agreement with the Madison Square Garden Company to buy The Forum in Inglewood, California, for $400 million in cash.

Why it matters: The purchase removes the biggest hurdle in Ballmer's plan to build a privately financed 18,000-seat arena near The Forum, which will continue to function as a music venue.

Mets flamethrower Noah Syndergaard (aka "Thor") has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow, effectively shelving him for the next 12–15 months.

Why it matters: Tommy John surgery is hardly a death sentence, but it's no walk in the park, either. Recovery generally lasts more than a year, and the first season back typically comes with pitch- and innings-limits.

Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns revealed in an emotional video late last night that his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, is in a medically induced coma from what his family believes is COVID-19.

The big picture: Towns, who was born and raised in New Jersey, learned last week that both his parents weren't feeling well. After a trip to the hospital, his father was released and told to self-quarantine, but his mother started "deteriorating."