FAQ: How coronavirus impacts Padres, MLB

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The start of the Padres' 2020 season will be delayed by at least two weeks, and the remainder of Spring Training has been canceled due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was formally announced in a statement from Major League Baseball on Thursday afternoon, which came after Commissioner Rob Manfred held a conference call among the 30 clubs. The Padres responded with a statement of their own, backing MLB’s decision:

"In a rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19, the health and safety of our community, guests, players and employees is our highest priority," the statement read. "We fully support Major League Baseball’s decision to cancel all remaining spring training games and postpone the start of the regular season by at least two weeks.

"Additionally, following orders from the California Governor and state health officials on limiting or postponing non-essential public gatherings that include over 250 people, the Padres will not hold any events at Petco Park for at least the remainder of March.”

Shortly after MLB’s announcement, the Padres held a meeting with players and staff. As things stand, players will remain in the area, with plans to work out at the team’s complex. Those plans could change, but the Padres are currently proceeding as though the season will begin two weeks after its original March 26 start date.

“We're going to take it day to day and see what we need to do, first from a player standpoint and a health and safety standpoint,” said Padres general manager A.J. Preller. “Obviously, we're going to be very cognizant of that. Then we'll factor in preparing for a Major League season. Things are obviously very fluid right now. We want to be able to react if we need to. We're going to see how the next couple days play out, and we'll have some more answers at that time.”

Here's what we know about some of the most frequently asked questions surrounding the situation:

When will the season start?
There is no official start date for the season at this time. What we do know is that the start of the season will be delayed at least two weeks. Opening Day had been scheduled for Thursday, March 26.

MLB will continue to evaluate ongoing events leading up to the start of the season. Guidance related to daily operations and workouts will be relayed to all 30 clubs in the coming days.

How will the schedule change to accommodate the late start?
According to the release sent by MLB, the league and teams have been preparing a variety of contingency plans regarding the 2020 regular-season schedule. MLB will announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.

What’s going to happen with the rest of Spring Training?
Forthcoming Spring Training games were canceled as of 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, and 2020 World Baseball Classic qualifying games scheduled in Tucson, Ariz., were postponed indefinitely.

What about Minor League Baseball?
Minor League Baseball announced Thursday that the start of the regular season, originally scheduled for April 9, will be delayed indefinitely.

Where will players go?
Padres players will remain in the Peoria area, and are slated to return to the Peoria Sports Complex on Friday. The complex is tentatively open for workouts, but as Preller noted, “the situation is fluid.”

“We’re going to have to keep playing baseball somewhere,” said right-hander Craig Stammen.

I have tickets to the home opener, what does this mean for me?
Opening Day will not take place as scheduled on March 26 against the Rockies. The Padres haven’t yet released ticketing info, but they noted this in their statement:

"We will continue to consult with MLB and local and national health and governmental authorities to determine the best course of action moving forward to provide a safe facility upon the resumption of games and events at Petco Park. We will also provide updated information on plans for our regular season games at Petco Park and any related refund or exchange policies as soon as those are determined. We appreciate your patience and understanding through this unprecedented time."

It remains possible that game will be made up at a later date, and if so, those tickets would presumably be honored.

What about tickets to other games?
The same thinking applies. The Padres were scheduled to open the season with four home games against the Rockies before playing three more at home against the Braves. Those games could still be rescheduled.

What is the status of the Padres' scheduled two-game series against the D-backs in Mexico City, April 18-19?
Major League Baseball has not yet made any announcement regarding the series in Mexico City, and the tentative plan is for the games to take place as scheduled. The two games are scheduled for after the season's two-week delay. However, Thursday's announcement noted that "MLB will continue to evaluate ongoing events leading up to the start of the season."

How might this affect the Padres once play resumes?
The Padres had managed to stay mostly healthy during Spring Training, so the extra time isn't likely to change the shape of their roster. But in Dinelson Lamet and Garrett Richards, they have two pitchers who returned from Tommy John surgery last season. Safe to say the Padres will be careful regarding the workloads for those two. As for the hitters, first baseman Eric Hosmer didn't seem too concerned, noting, "We'll be able to find ways to stay in baseball shape."

What's happening at Padres camp?
Thursday's news prompted surreal scenes on the Peoria Sports Complex back-fields. The Padres' scheduled game against Cleveland was canceled early because of rain, but players were instructed to remain at the complex for a team meeting. Players milled around the bullpen area on their cell phones, waiting for answers. A few of them shot hoops on the complex's basketball court. A couple pitchers broke out their golf clubs.

The team's meeting lasted about 15 minutes, before players slowly began trickling out of the complex. They're expecting to receive further guidance on Friday.

What are they saying?
“Feels like we're in a movie right now, it's insane,” Hosmer said. “As of a couple days ago, I think you started to kind of expect some of these things to happen. Major League Baseball was doing a great job of really being proactive on this stuff. Just obviously hoping everybody's safe."