Blue Jays Not Allowed to Play Games in Canada in 2020

The Toronto Blue Jays will need a location to play their 30 home games scheduled for the 2020 season, as Saturday the team was denied approval by the Canadian government to play in Toronto amid the coronavirus pandemic. One possible alternative for the Jays is to play at their training facility in Dunedin, Florida.

The Toronto Blue Jays will have to figure out some place to play their 30 home games in 2020, as it was ruled Saturday that they will not be allowed to play in Canada.

The Jays are the first team to be denied the ability to play games in their home stadium.

The team was informed of the decision via phone call that they were being denied approval by the Canadian government to play in Toronto amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino released a statement Saturday on the matter, explaining that the federal government had denied the request.

The Blue Jays, who may wind up playing their games at the spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, had been given clearance by city and provincial governments to play regular-season games at Rogers Centre and was awaiting approval from Canada’s federal government.

“Unlike preseason training, regular season games would require repeated cross-border travel of Blue Jays players and staff, as well as opponent teams into and out of Canada. Of particular concern, the Toronto Blue Jays would be required to play in locations where the risk of virus transmission remains high,” Mendicino said in a statement on Saturday.

“Based on the best-available public health advice, we have concluded the cross-border travel required for MLB regular season play would not adequately protect Canadians’ health and safety. As a result, Canada will not be issuing a National Interest Exemption for the MLB’s regular season at this time.”

Reports say that Jays players were more in tune with wanting to play games in Toronto then traveling to Florida, a state that was hit hard with a spike recently in covid-19 cases.

“We have shared this news with the Blue Jays organization. We remain open to considering future restart plans for the postseason should the risk of virus transmission diminish. We wish the Blue Jays the best of luck as they start the regular season,” Mendicino said.

The Jays have a few extra days to figure out where they will play their home games in 2020, as they are set to open on July 24 at Tampa against the Rays, and five days after that they are set to play their home opener against the World Series champion Washington Nationals.