FAQ: How coronavirus affects Rangers, MLB

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers released the following statement following Major League Baseball’s announcement Thursday that the start of the regular season has been delayed at least two weeks because of the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic:

“With the health and safety of our fans, players, and employees being top priority, the Texas Rangers unconditionally support Major League Baseball’s decision to suspend Spring Training games and delay the start of the 2020 regular season. We thank our fans for their understanding and patience during these unprecedented times.”

• Rangers' new ballpark opening delayed

Here are some questions and answers about the situation:

When will the season start?
There is no official start date for the season at this time. What we do know is the season will be delayed at least two weeks. Opening Day had been scheduled for Thursday, March 26.

MLB will continue to evaluate ongoing events leading up to the start of the season. Guidance related to daily operations and workouts will be relayed to all 30 clubs in the coming days.

How will the schedule change to accommodate the late start?
According to MLB’s release, the league and clubs have been preparing a variety of contingency plans regarding the 2020 regular-season schedule. MLB will announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.

What’s going to happen with the rest of Spring Training?
Forthcoming Spring Training games were canceled as of 3 p.m. CT on Thursday, and 2020 World Baseball Classic qualifying games scheduled in Tucson, Ariz., were postponed indefinitely.

How many Spring Training games did the Rangers lose?
The Rangers, who were off Thursday, had 10 games remaining in Arizona as well as a March 23 exhibition against the Cardinals and a March 24 game against players from their farm system at Globe Life Field. It is possible that when the season resumes, the Rangers will still need to play 1-2 exhibition games at Globe Life Field.

Who were the Rangers going to play in the first two weeks?
The Rangers were scheduled to open the season with four games in Seattle on March 26-29. Their home opener was March 31, the beginning of a three-game series with the Angels. That was to be followed by three home games against the Rays on April 3-5 and two games at Colorado on April 7-8.

What about Minor League Baseball?
Minor League Baseball announced that the start of the regular season, originally scheduled for April 9, will be delayed indefinitely.

Where will players go?
Major League Baseball announced on Friday that all Spring Training camps have been suspended, effective immediately. Players were given the option of going home, remaining in their Spring Training cities or returning to their club’s home city.

Rangers players met with general manager Jon Daniels, manager Chris Woodward, front office staff, coaches and the medical team on Friday. The players were going to continue to talk among themselves and give a final answer on their plans Saturday.

I have tickets to the home opener. What does this mean for me?
Ticket policies for any postponed regular-season games at Globe Life Field will be announced once the regular season is affected.

What is the policy for refunding canceled Spring Training games at Surprise Stadium?
Refunds for the five remaining Spring Training games at Surprise Stadium (March 13, 15, 16, 19, 20) will be automatically refunded if tickets were purchased at the Surprise Stadium box office, by phone or through an authorized tickets.com outlet. For tickets purchased with cash, a refund check will be mailed to customers with an account. If you don’t have an account, please fill out the refund request form and include your original tickets.

What about the two exhibition games at Globe Life Field on March 23-24?
For fans with tickets to those games in their season packages, the Rangers will create a credit on the account holder’s season ticket members account, which can be used toward securing tickets to a future regular-season game, pay for potential postseason tickets, or as a payment toward the renewal of a 2021 season package.

For fans who purchased tickets online or over the phone for the March 23 or 24 games, they will have a credit on their My Rangers Tickets account that can be used toward the purchase of a future game during the 2020 season.

For fans who purchased tickets for March 23 or 24 in person at the Texas Rangers ticket office, they can bring those tickets to the box office to exchange for a future date.

How might this affect the Rangers once play resumes?
The delay allows Willie Calhoun (fractured jaw), Jesse Chavez (shoulder), Jeff Mathis (strained left hamstring) and Jose Trevino (hairline fracture of right index finger) more recovery time, but it is unclear if they will be ready for the start of the regular season.

How will this impact the pitching preparation?
The Rangers will keep their five starters -- Mike Minor, Lance Lynn, Corey Kluber, Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles -- on a regular throwing program and will continue building up their pitch counts. That could be done either in Arizona or Texas. The Rangers don’t want them to lose arm strength by sitting idle for another month.

What is the status of the Rangers/MLB Youth Academy in West Dallas?
The Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex will suspend programming indefinitely effective immediately.