Major League Baseball will detail the the league's shortened 60-game season during an announcement on the MLB Channel at 5pm today, but the season's opening day schedule has already leaked. The Athletic was the first to report that the Cubs will open their season at Wrigley Field against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 24. NBC Sports Chicago has also confirmed that the White Sox will host the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field on July 24.
Due to the shortened season and to reduce the need for extensive travel, the Cubs and the Sox will only be playing Central Division teams in the National League and American League in 2020. The current schedule was decided after weeks of negotiations between the MLB Players Association and the league.
It's currently unclear if the Cubs and the Sox will be able to welcome a limited number of fans into the stands at their respective ballparks. The guidelines for Phase 4 of the state's reopening plan dictate that "Outdoor spectator sports can resume with no more than 20% of seating capacity," but Chicago has the ability to set its own restrictions. Mayor Lori Lightfoot has recently stated that she expects spectator sports to resume without fans in the stands, but has remained open to the possibility of allowing spectators at some point in Phase 4.
Keep an eye out for more details on baseball season when the league makes its official announcement this evening.
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