Royals players will face tighter restrictions on the field and away from the ballpark
Earlier this season, a Fox Sports Kansas City broadcast showed three members of the Royals bullpen conversing while sitting side-by-side on a bench.
None of the players was wearing a mask.
That will change starting with Thursday’s game against the Cubs at Kauffman Stadium.
According to Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal, players, coaches and managers will be required to “wear face coverings over their nose/mouth at all times and in all places in the stadium except for players on the field. This includes the dugout and bullpen.”
There could be some alterations made at Kauffman Stadium because of the new rules.
“Teams are required to provide outdoor, covered spaces for the visiting team to minimize time spent indoors,” Diamond wrote. “Both teams must also have dedicated spaces where they can observe social distancing during rain delays.”
The Associated Press reported each MLB team will now have “compliance officer.” This person will enforce the new rules, which were added to the operations manual as Major League Baseball hopes to continue its season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The AP said new regulations also have been put in place on the road.
Players who want to leave a team hotel, must get approval from the team’s compliance officer.
“At hotels, teams have been instructed to provide a large private room — a ballroom, for instance — where staff and players can get food and other amenities with enough space to keep their distance. Players are discouraged from talking to each other or facing each other if their mask is pulled down while eating,” the Associated Press reported.
Players also will be banned from going to bars, malls or any place where crowds congregate. That’s whether they are on the road or at home, that story notes.
According to Diamond, players who don’t follow the new rules could be banned from playing.
“Any covered individual found to be flagrantly violating these protocols,” Diamond wrote, “including refusing to wear a face covering after being reminded, can be banned from further participation in the 2020 season, following a written warning.”
