Sports

Red Sox Season Back On: When MLB Season Will Start

Major League Baseball and the Players Association agreed to a deal that would end the lockout and give fans a full season.

Sweet Caroline will ring from Fenway again this spring.
Sweet Caroline will ring from Fenway again this spring. (Mike Carraggi/Patch)

BOSTON — Reports of baseball's demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Major League Baseball and the Players Association agreed to a deal that would end the lockout and give fans a full season. Opening Day is set for April 7.

Commissioner Rob Manfred announced March 1 that the first two series of the season were canceled, with more cancelations potentially to come if the two sides couldn't find common ground.

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Those games have now been restored, despite the later start date. MLB is scheduling in some doubleheaders to account for the April 7 Opening Day.

Spring Training will start around March 18-20.

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The lockout ended after 99 days. In the end, there will be a full season with many of the pandemic changes, like nine-inning doubleheaders and no more automatic baserunners in extra innings, ending.

A new addition is the universal designated hitter, meaning teams in both the American and National League will have the DH.

The postseason will be expanded to 12 teams, something the league pushed for. Player uniforms will for the first time have advertising patches on their jerseys and decals on their helmets.

A pitch clock will be used, and the shift will be banned beginning in 2023.

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