Red Sox CEO: MLB still planning to play 162-game schedule

Despite what will be a late start to the season, Major League Baseball isn't planning for a shortened 2020 campaign.

"As it relates to the games on the front, the current thinking at Major League Baseball is that they would be added on to the back end of the schedule," Boston Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy told reporters, including Christopher Smith of MassLive, on Friday. "But obviously subject to change as the situation develops. So we have not canceled any of these games. We would be looking at a rescheduling."

He added: "Every different scenario has been discussed. Talking about having games in spring training facilities as we ramp back up. Or because there may be some states that are on lockdown, playing games in empty stadiums has been discussed as well. Certainly no firm plans."

MLB on Thursday officially postponed the beginning of the 2020 season by at least two weeks. The league also canceled the remainder of spring training due to the threat of the coronavirus.

Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported Saturday that industry sources don't expect the delay to be resolved before May. That timeline would force at least one month's worth of games to be rescheduled and potentially added to the end of the season.

All 30 MLB teams are currently scheduled to play their final regular-season games on Sept. 27. Should two weeks' worth of games be rescheduled past that point, the regular season would stretch into mid-October and postseason play could potentially be pushed into mid-November. Rescheduling one month's worth of regular-season games could see the playoffs run into December.