The Blue Jays finalized their 2020 home schedule on Sunday, which required some minor adjustments as they work through some necessary upgrades to Sahlen Field in Buffalo.
Toronto will play its first scheduled homestand from July 29-Aug. 2 on the road in Washington and Philadelphia. The Blue Jays' first game at Sahlen Field will be on Aug. 11 against the Marlins.
There are still infrastructure modifications facing the Blue Jays, updates needed to bring Sahlen Field up to Major League standards and to meet MLB health and safety protocols. Much of the work will be done with a focus on creating more space for physical distancing.
“We’re trying to take a very good Minor League facility and bring it up as close as possible to a Major League facility within the confines of the physical infrastructure,” club president and CEO Mark Shapiro said. “That means we’re trying to think about the size of spaces, locker rooms, cages, training rooms and resources.”
The Blue Jays will need to “reimagine” some of the physical space at Sahlen Field, as Shapiro put it, which could mean using the vacant concourse area that typically houses vendors and fans. The club could also make use of the bleachers, because there will be no fans in attendance.
For gameplay and broadcast purposes, the Blue Jays are also upgrading the lighting at Sahlen Field.