When MLB teams arrived at the ballpark this weekend for the first summer workouts of 2020, the comforting sounds of baseball brought smiles to players' faces.
Between the lines: Even the loudest crack of the bat couldn't mask the eerie silence or distract from the ever-present coronavirus threat.
The Cleveland Indians announced Friday night they are looking into changing the team name given "the recent social unrest in our community."
Why it matters: The team been known as the Cleveland Indians since 1915, AP reports. The decision to reconsider the team name comes after the Washington Redskins announced they will conduct a formal review of the team name. Native Americans have called both team names offensive for many years.
A source close to the negotiations tells me there is "no question" the Washington Redskins are expected to change their name before the first kickoff this fall, scheduled for Sept. 10.
Worth noting: Team owner Dan Snyder told USA Today in 2013: "We'll never change the name ... It's that simple. NEVER — you can use caps."
31 Major League Baseball players and seven staff members from 19 of the 30 teams tested positive for the coronavirus, AP reports.
Why it matters: Major League Baseball and the player's association announced the numbers on Friday. The positive cases come just as teams resumed workouts for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic brought spring training to an abrupt halt in March. Opening day is set for July 23 as the league prepares for its shortest schedule since 1878, AP notes.
