Padres camp suspended, workouts optional

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Padres Spring Training has been suspended indefinitely in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, though all of the team’s big league players have tentatively decided to remain in Peoria, according to sources.

Minor League camp has been postponed as well, with nearly all players sent home. Major Leaguers were given that option, too, after an in-person meeting between Major League Baseball and Players Association officials on Friday. After that meeting, MLB released a statement saying:

“After an in-person meeting with MLBPA officials in Arizona, Major League Baseball announced today that Spring Training camps will be suspended, effective immediately. Major League players can elect to return home, remain in their Spring Training cities, or return to their Club’s home city. This step is in the best interests of players, employees and the communities who host Spring Training.

“MLB will continue to monitor ongoing events and undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts. We send our best wishes to all the individuals and communities who have been impacted by coronavirus.”

As things stand, the team’s big leaguers will remain in the Peoria, Arizona, for optional workouts. A handful of Minor Leaguers, who were rehabbing injuries, will remain as well.

"We're getting more and more information on the virus each day," Padres manager Jayce Tingler said on a phone call Friday morning. "Our main concern is certainly the health of our players. We're all human beings, just understanding human safety. That's where our focus is. ... When it's time to start shifting that focus [to the season] we can do that, but our minds are on the safety of everyone right now."

Major League Baseball has delayed the start of the season by at least two weeks past the scheduled March 26 Opening Day. The Minor League season has been pushed back as well.

The Padres met Friday morning to discuss the team's plans moving forward, then they took part in a light workout, with hitters swinging in the cages and pitchers throwing mostly on flat ground. The goal was to keep them fresh during a period of uncertainty.

The team also took precautionary measures, planning to split the workouts for their Major and Minor Leaguers between morning and afternoon. In between, a disinfectant crew cleaned the team’s complex.

But things had changed by the time Minor Leaguers met in the afternoon. They were sent home with no clear plans for a return.

As for the big league side, the Padres are making plans for a number of contingencies. They're also making plans to change those plans as new information becomes available.

"We've got things lined up and a lot of different options," Tingler said of potential workout scenarios. "... But with everything going on obviously there are bigger concerns than that."