MLB defines 2021 season protocols: seven-entry doubleheaders, runner in extras and COVID contact tracking program

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agreed to the rules of the COVID-19 health and safety protocol for the 2021 season, the league announced on Tuesday. They agreed to the terms for spring training and the regular season, and the protocols will impact players on and off the field.

In many ways, the 2021 season will be very similar to 2020, except that the plan is for 162 games.

The main adjustments of rules in the field that will be perceived as a difference compared to the pre-2020 will be:

• Doubleheaders will be two games of seven entries.
• Each attack will have a second runner to start each extra entry.
• The active duty limit will be reverted to 26 and will expand to 28 in September.
• MLB clubs are allowed to carry up to five additional Taxi Squad players on all trips.

Remember that the goal here is to limit excessively long stays at the stadium, while protecting players from additional wear and tear.

However, there will be no designated hitter as part of this agreement. This means that all AL games have DH, all NL games do not and interconnect games will have DH in AL parks, but not in NL parks.

As has been widely reported in recent weeks, the owner / MLB side has offered the designated universal hitter, but as part of the negotiation, expanded heats have been included. The MLBPA rejected this offer, which means that the playoff field returns to five teams per league – three division winners and two wildcards, who play a game with the winner moving on.

It is possible that things will change here before the start of the regular season, with both sides agreeing on a DH and an expanded playoff field, but for the time being, an agreement has been made with spring training right there.

Remember that the collective bargaining agreement expires after the season, so all negotiations on things like DH and expanded playoffs were made against the backdrop of a new agreement that needs to happen in several months. Neither side wants to give the impression that it is making concessions to the other.

Regarding health and safety measures for the MLB season 2021, the league announced a variety of rules on Tuesday morning, including:

• Mandatory five-day home quarantine before reporting spring training and frequent administration of CRP tests.
• A ten day isolation period is required for individuals who test positive for COVID-19.
• “Individuals who have been identified as having been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID will be subject to a mandatory seven-day quarantine and must be negative on the 5th or later, among other requirements to return to the Club facilities.”
• A new code of conduct for the entire league that prohibits certain high-risk activities outside the stadium (“indoor meetings of 10 or more, indoor restaurants, bars and lounges, fitness and wellness centers, entertainment venues, gaming venues (e.g., casinos) or any other activity that is prohibited by state or local governments. “)
• During the season, “individuals during road trips are not allowed to leave the hotel, except for team activities on the team premises or stadium, except for medical reasons, walking / outdoor exercise, outdoor dining (if approved by Committee), or for other low-risk outdoor activities or in extraordinary circumstances. Travel group members must notify a Club Compliance Officer before leaving the hotel. “
• The contact tracking program will require that the Kinexon contact tracking device be “used at all times on the Club’s premises, during Club-driven trips and while involved in team activities, including exercises and group practices.”
• “Face covers must be worn properly at all times on the club premises and in the shelter, except for players on the field during a game or during pre-game warm-up.”
• All MLB clubs will have a compliance officer, a contact tracking officer and a face mask enforcement officer. Fines will be issued for non-compliance during games and fines will be donated to charities.

Spring training is scheduled to begin next week.