Blue Jays to Play Majority of 2020 Home Games in Buffalo

The Blue Jays previously explored playing home games this season at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Camden Yards in Baltimore.

The Blue Jays announced on Friday it will "host the greater part of its home schedule," in Buffalo for the 2020 season.

"We are extremely grateful to have a home in Buffalo this season, thanks to the openness, creativity and partnership of the Buffalo Bisons, Major League Baseball and the Blue Jays staff," Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said in a statement. "This process has no doubt tested our team's resilience, but our players and staff refuse to make excuses."

Blue Jays To Stage Majority Of 2020 Home Games In Buffalo. pic.twitter.com/BxlV7cgieJ

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 24, 2020

Toronto's search for a new home began on July 19 when the team was told it couldn't play in Canada this season amid the COVID-19 crisis. The Blue Jays previously explored playing at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, but that option was scuttled in a decision by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.

The Orioles offered their home park on Thursday, but it appears as though the Blue Jays would rather not share a stadium with the fellow AL East club.

The Blue Jays will now play at Sahlen Field in downtown Buffalo. The ballpark is the home of the Buffalo Bisons, Toronto's AAA affiliate.

Sahlen Field is expected to undergo upgrades in the coming weeks. Both the lights and clubhouses need to be upgraded, and improvements should come in the next few weeks, per the MLB Network's Jon Heyman. 

Word is, both Cuomo and Schumer supported Jays playing in Buffalo. MLB sent a crew recently to evaluate how MLB ready the stadium. Lights and clubhouses were the two main upgrades needed, and they’ll now need to work to improve them. Quickly obviously. #Jays

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 24, 2020

Toronto will kick off its 2020 season on Friday as they face the Rays in Tampa. The Blue Jays' first home game is slated for July 29 in a matchup against the Nationals.