Axios

The Washington Nationals-New York Mets Opening Day game, which was set to kick off in the nation's capital on Thursday night, will reportedly be postponed due to COVID-19 protocols, per ESPN's Buster Olney.

Why it matters: More than one year after the first professional sports game was canceled due to COVID-19, it's a reminder that the pandemic is still disrupting everyday life — especially as fourth wave of infections driven by new variants looms over the country.

Baseball is back, America. After a 60-game season in 2020, this year's complete 162-game schedule begins this afternoon in the Bronx.

Driving the news: MLB saw just 17 positive tests out of 72,751 conducted (0.02%) last Friday. But five Nationals are currently in quarantine due to a positive test — a reminder of how fragile any sense of stability will be.

President Biden told ESPN in an interview broadcast Wednesday he'd back Major League Baseball moving its 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta over Georgia's new voting restrictions — which he called "Jim Crow on steroids."

Driving the news: ESPN's Sage Steele asked Biden what he thought about leading MLB figures looking to relocate the game over Georgia's law. Biden replied, "Today's professional athletes are acting incredibly responsibly. I would strongly support them doing that. People look to them, they're leaders."

Go deeper: Biden calls Georgia's voting restrictions "Jim Crow in the 21st Century"

On the eve of the MLB regular season's start, Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo announced a player has tested positive for COVID-19, and four teammates and a staffer are in quarantine.

Why it matters: Major League Baseball is still reeling from the impact of the coronavirus last season, when sponsor revenue plummeted by up to 60% and players' salary also fell, as the pandemic shortened the season.

Endeavor, the talent agency and live events company led by Ari Emanuel, has agreed to acquire 100% of Ultimate Fighting Championship, according to information contained in a Wednesday afternoon IPO filing.

Background: Endeavor currently has a 50.1% stake in UFC, based on a 2016 deal done alongside private equity firms Silver Lake and KKR.

Over 50 bills in 28 states have been introduced this year that would exclude transgender youth from playing sports on teams that align with their gender identity.

Driving the news: In the past three weeks alone, Republican governors from three states — Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas — have signed such bills.

As the college sports world focuses on March Madness, the Supreme Court will hear a case this morning that could change the landscape of the NCAA.

Catch up quick: The 9th Circuit last year sided with former West Virginia RB Shawne Alston in his antitrust case against the NCAA, ruling that schools can provide unlimited academic-related expenses to their athletes.